Excellent article. Some video games are dangerous.

Roman, St.-Petersburg, Russia

Hayden was driving above the speed limit, on the wrong side of the road, on a hazardous bend, and this is not dangerous, but only careless, driving? Just what does one have to do with a car to be judged to be driving dangerously? In my opinion, he should have been charged and found guilty of manslaughter.

Peter Jones, London,
>>> Seconded, and in total agreement by:-

David Bond, Wellington, New Zealand

I agree with the numerous comments regarding the poor standard of journalism here. It is not the article itself but the 'killer games' section at the bottom that is so appalling and, until recently, unbefitting of a puplication such as The Times.

Alex, Reading, UK

Here we go again - what has happened to standards in journalism? "killer video games" demonisation and cheap bandwaggon jumping really is more suited to a publication such as The Daily Mail. Please leave this kind of cheap scapegoating to people such as Keith Vaz! I used to have high expectations of The TImes not to sink to such low journalistic standards.

Carl, Chester, merseyside

To say that video games had anything to do with this driving is an irresponsibility of the judge. To put the "killer games" section at the bottom of this article is journalistic negligence. "The Fast and the Furious" is more relevant to this case than video games. Stop perpetuating the myth that video games are harmful to people and start doing some real reporting.

Brian Weck, San Diego, CA, USA

If he had been watching the F1 on an in-car TV, would there be calls for banning motorsport?!?
This (speficially the 'killer games') is poor journalism - eg. Manhunt - whilst it may have been initially implicated, it was later absolved, by the Police of all people.
I take it you do not play computer games, didn't speak to anyone that plays computer games, and relied on 2nd/3rd/4th/Nth hand items and blogs found via Google to gather your info.

Barry, Watford,

Manhunt was not implicated in the Stefan Pakeerah murder - this was pure speculation, and has been denied by the police who worked on the case. Please stop perpetuating this baseless rumour.

Lawrence Docherty, Liverpool, UK

In this country being on the wrong side of the road and well over the speed limit is against the law - killing someone while doing it is murder -apparently not In England !!! No wonder your yobs are so out of control when they can get away with this.

Bill Atkins, Rehoboth Beach, USA

"Killer games" ? Has the Times been bought by the Express Group?

Phil, Lodon,

Unless these drivers are made to suffer for their actions nothing will improve and a fine and points off their licence will not do it. If you kill some one through such actions you must be punished so that you now becomb a deterent to future idiots on the roads. If you don't make the punishment fit the crime - eventually some one else wil !!

ALAN, Cardiff, Wales

Hayden was driving above the speed limit, on the wrong side of the road, on a hazardous bend, and this is not dangerous, but only careless, driving? Just what does one have to do with a car to be judged to be driving dangerously? In my opinion, he should have been charged and found guilty of manslaughter.

Peter Jones, London,

The comment on Canis Canem Edit, to give it its full name, is based on previews of the game before it was published. In the actual game the player is more likely to be defending himself and others against bullies, or indulging in naughty pranks, rather than acting cruelly. The writers of the game appear to have responded to early criticism.

Frank Upton, Solihull,

Have you actually played Canis Canem Edit (which is the correct name)? The game, while called Bully in America, is actually about standing up to bullies, and defending weaker kids, not being one yourself.

Videogames don't kill people; those who can't tell fantasy from reality kill people. I have been playing video games -- including violent ones and racing ones -- for most of my life. That does NOT mean I then go out and re-enact my favourite moments on the streets! This spurious argument was probably going around in the fourteenth century: mummers' shows encourage violence and recklessness! Video games are ENTERTAINMENT. They do NOT force people to do stupid things. Just because someone who has played a video game does something stupid, it doesn't mean that the video game was directly responsible for that act. I bet Mr Hayden has a TV, too -- and I bet he watched violent programmes on it. I bet he's been to the cinema. Blaming entertainment? Unproveable, but what a nice scapegoat.

Emily Miller, Norwich, UK

Isn't it sad not only that the person who dies in incidences like this is invariably the innocent person going about their business rather than the instigator of the crash, but worse is the pitiful excuse for a judge awarding a mere £1000 fine to the main perpetrator.

So let's get this straight, the computer game issue aside, he was driving on the wrong side of the road, well over the speed limit and there is a definite hint of him racing another driver at the time. Now if that isn't causing death by dangerous driving, I don't know what is. Mrs Williams' family have to deal with her loss, and the scrotes who caused it have to pay a fine lower than the one my friend had for driving a smidgeon over the drink drive limit (still wrong of course) but not crashing or killing anyone. Once again, the law demonstrates the irrefutable proof that it is an ass!

Steve Lee, Gillingham, England