en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Fri, 24 May 2013 19:59:14 GMT 15 By Stephanie Hoffman
Do you know someone who doesn’t drive very well? A new study suggests that a genetic variant may, in fact, be responsible for poor driving skills. According to the study by the University of California Irvine, those with a particular gene variant performed more than 20 percent worse on a driving test than people without it. Experts think that roughly 30 percent of Americans have this “bad driving gene”. Senior Katie Perzanoski does not believe the study. “I don’t think or believe that driving skills are inherited from your parents,” Perzanoski said. “It just doesn’t seem like that could work.” Junior Jen Maddox also does not believe the study. “My dad tends to get really excited and speed,” Maddox said. “My mom drives like a grandma, very slowly and cautiously. But me, I am a very good driver. I am very responsible behind the wheel.” However, junior Danielle Nester thinks there may be some truth to the study. “I think there is a driving gene,” Nester said. Those who disagree with the study feel they may drive like their parents, not because of a gene, but because they’ve learned from riding in the car with them for years. “I learned how to drive by being in the car with my parents, because I don’t repeat their mistakes,” senior Chris Hopkins said. Perzanoski learned the same way. “I learned to drive from being in the car with them all the time,” Perzanoski said. According to the study, there is a positive side when it comes to this “bad driving gene.” The study found that those who have it maintain their mental sharpness longer than those who don’t. ]]> Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:30:40 GMT