After questioning 198 males and females, the group found that regular racing game players were more likely to have reported getting in automobile accidents and driving aggressively. Researchers then studied the differences in risk-taking behavior on a driving simulator as exhibited by 68 males, some of whom had been playing racing games and some of whom had not. Those who had been playing one or more racing game operated the simulator--presumably a more realistic one than the driving game they had just been playing--with less regard for risk. Finally, researchers questioned 83 males who were instructed to play a racing game or a different type of video game, finding reports more reports of thoughts associated with risk-taking among those who had played the racing game than among the others.

Joerg Kubitzki, one of the researchers involved in the study, stated that racing games, like excessively violent games, should carry content ratings pertaining to age. He noted that while some research has been done into the potential psychological affects of shooters, the risk-encouraging properties of racing games had not yet been formally observed. "Risk-acceptance is one of the most prominent and important factors in the discussion of the origin of accidents caused by young drivers," said Kubitzki. "The question of age restrictions, legally or voluntary, should be discussed not only for 'shooter' games but also for this kind of games, which have an impact on traffic safety." In the United States, attempts to legally restrict the sale of particular games based on their potential behavioral influence have traditionally failed.