Did you know that many professional sim racers, including Norbert Michelisz and James Baldwin, have successfully transitioned into real-world racing and gained immense success? So, if you’re wondering, “Does sim racing improve driving?” the short answer is yes. The highly popular eSport accurately simulates racing with real-world variables, such as road conditions, vehicle power, fuel usage, and suspension setting, allowing users to use what they learn in the virtual world and apply it in the real world.
However, if you’re looking for more information before testing this theory, stick around and check out eight ways simulation racing can make you a better real-world driver.
8 Ways Sim Racing Can Improve Driving
Without further ado, let’s get right into it:
1. A Safer Option for Learning
Racing simulation software accurately mimics the effects of tire traction, road feel, aerodynamics, suspension geometry, and more. Simply put, simulators create an accurate representation of real-world driving dynamics. Therefore, unlike conventional racing games, the cars in sim racing software are not as forgiving when drivers push them to their limits.
As a result, they provide a realistic driving experience using which drivers can safely improve their driving skills, such as reflexes, merging into traffic, problem-solving, overtaking, and braking, among others. Since it’s all virtual, they don’t have to worry about crashing or sustaining injuries since they can always restart and try again.
2. Awareness
Although leisure or everyday driving is different from intense, action-packed racing, sim racing can help new drivers become more aware of their surroundings, especially on highways and in high-speed traffic. By safely building good intuition and road sense, they can speed up their learning curve and become more confident real-world drivers. Better awareness can also help reduce the risk of accidents. Although the thrill of sim racing can lead to speeding tickets if you find it difficult differentiating track rules from real-world traffic rules.
3. Track Experience
The technology used in modeling race tracks on simulation software is more advanced compared to the last decade, especially in sims like iRacing and rFactor 2. These games are incredibly realistic, making them perfect for new drivers to have a real-world practice session without stepping foot in a vehicle.
Depending on how good you become at it, you can ace the driving test in one go and use your track experience on the road. Plus, it allows you to take information from multiple sources and process it while driving on the road, thus, improving your multitasking ability.
4. It’s Free
The typical cost of a driving school and road training can easily range between $50 and $150 per session in the US. Depending on your age and other attributes (confidence, learning speed, etc.), it can easily take 10-20 hours worth of driving sessions. The money spent on these long sessions can easily be invested in a PC or console that can be equipped with simulation software and downloadable games. Compared to paying for a car, car insurance, and driving lessons, simulation racing is free once you have the required hardware and software, and you can run as many practice laps as you’d like until you get the hang of it. Plus, you don’t have to risk crashing your vehicle in the real world while learning how to drive and incur thousands of dollars in repairs and parts replacements.
5. Better Control in Different Road Conditions
One of the best benefits of sim racing is that it can help drivers safely prepare for extreme real-world conditions. Depending on where you live, it’s not always sunny, and the terrain might be uneven. Similarly, heavy rain, fog, snow, storms, and dusty roads can limit visibility, making it difficult for drivers to maintain control when driving. Simulators, such as Assetto Cora and iRacing, can be set to mimic these conditions and more, thus, allowing drivers to improve their driving techniques and maintain control at all times.
6. Stress Reduction
New drivers are prone to developing stress, especially when driving on the road for the first time. This is normal as a big part of driving involves overcoming the fear of making mistakes or crashing. Simulation racing games can help take that fear away and make your real-world driving experience less stressful as you take a few practice laps in a safe environment.
Similarly, intense racing can also reduce stress in the long run by training your brain to control adrenaline, heart rate, and sweat. This can help you control yourself in real-world driving conditions, whether you’re stuck in traffic or driving in the rain.
7. Improved Hand-Eye Coordination and Memory Retention
Video games have been proven to improve hand-eye coordination. Racing simulation games provide regular training exercises for new drivers to help improve coordination when controlling the wheel, pedals, and gears.
Depending on your skill level, you can significantly improve reaction time in the real world and make faster, on-the-spot decisions in fast traffic. The mesh of a 3D world and force feedback allows drivers to pay more attention to the road and their surroundings. Depending on how long you’ve been playing, you can retain more information, such as directions to new locations.
8. Long-Term Well-Being
Driver wellness and safety play an important role in preventing accidents and injuries. A study by the Department of Psychology at North Carolina State University showed that regular gamers scored consistently higher in different mental tests compared to non-gamers. The study concluded that regular gamers have a higher sense of well-being and health. Therefore, they’re less likely to show signs of depression, which can lead to road rage, traffic violations, and collisions.
Mental health is important, especially for newly licensed teen drivers, who are more prone to developing risky driving behaviors due to shorter attention spans, hyperactivity, and rule-breaking. Since a huge aspect of becoming a good sim racer involves maintaining discipline, drivers who regularly play sim racing games are less susceptible to reckless behavior.
Conclusion
Does sim racing improve driving? Yes, and now, you know how sim racing improves driving. Most people won’t experience what it’s like to translate sim racing skills to real-world driving skills. However, those who do claim that racing simulators could become the next big thing in driving schools to help reduce the risk of accidents and costs of training.
However, if you’re looking to take the DIY route to improve your driving, investing in a sim rig, console, or gaming PC can make a significant difference to your skill level and confidence on the road. It might sound strange, but considering how many sim racers have successfully transitioned into becoming real-world racers, this strategy makes perfect sense, especially for beginners with little or no driving experience.
