It is highly unlikely that you can spot a good driver from a traffic jam, but I tend to think, a good driver knows he or she is a good driver.
Well, a new study by UC Irvine neuroscientists suggests that bad drivers may have their genes to blame.
Driving is an acquired skill that uses most of your senses, which various nerves of course coordinate.
The researchers found that people with a particular gene variant performed more than 20 per cent worse on a driving test than people without it.
“These people make more errors from the get-go, and they forget more of what they learned after time away,” senior author of the study Steven Cramer said.
They said these people have a deficit of a particular gene variant that produces a protein that keeps memory strong by supporting communication among brain cells and keeping them functioning optimally.
The protein is called the brain-derived neurotrophic factor.
“When a person is engaged in a particular task, BDNF is secreted in the brain area connected with that activity to help the body respond,” they said.
“We wanted to study motor behaviour, something more complex than finger-tapping,” lead author Stephanie McHughen said.
“Driving seemed like a good choice because it has a learning curve and it's something most people know how to do.”
How the study was conducted.
The driving test was taken by 29 people. 22 without the gene variant and seven with it.
They were asked to drive 15 laps on a simulator that required them to learn the nuances of a track programmed to have difficult curves and turns.
Researchers recorded how well they stayed on the course over time and after four days, the test was repeated.
Results
They found that people who had the variant did worse on both tests than the other participants, and they remembered less the second time.
“Behavior derives from dozens and dozens of neurophysiologic events, so it's somewhat surprising this exercise bore fruit,” Cramer said.
The gene variant is not always bad, though.
Studies have found that people with it maintain their usual mental sharpness longer than those without it when neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's, Huntington's, and multiple sclerosis are present.
“It's as if nature is trying to determine the best approach,” Cramer said.
“If you want to learn a new skill or have had a stroke and need to regenerate brain cells, there's evidence that having the variant is not good. But if you've got a disease that affects cognitive function, there's evidence it can act in your favor. The variant brings a different balance between flexibility and stability.”
A test to determine whether someone has the gene variant is not commercially available.
“I'd be curious to know the genetics of people who get into car crashes,” Cramer said.
“I wonder if the accident rate is higher for drivers with the variant.”
The study was published recently in the journal Cerebral Cortex.
However, there are other factors that may contribute to poor driving including; Human error which is the most common reasons for road accidents.
Bad road conditions, poor vehicle and road conditions, fatigue, weather, distractions, confusion, and other factors may also contribute.