UC Irvine study suggests bad driving sometimes genetic
A new study suggests bad driving may be in your genes.
Researchers at UC Irvine looked at genes and driving tests in 29 people. They found that people with a certain genetic variant did 20 percent worse on a driving test than people without that variant. They got similar results in a follow-up test a few days later.
The genetic variant affects a protein that’s supposed to help keep memory strong. Other studies have shown a smaller portion of the brain is stimulated during activities in people with that genetic variant.
Scientists say the drivers they studied who had the variant made more mistakes from the get-go. About 30 percent of Americans have that genetic variant.
One UCI researcher says it might be useful to study the genetics of people who get into car wrecks to see if the accident rate is higher in drivers with the variant.
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