Det. Lobsinger was careful not to blame the video game for Tuesday's accident.

"There is a small percentage who have difficulty separating reality and simulation, fantasy. It's a very, very small percentage," he said. "This was not the game's fault. There are millions who play this game and don't go out and do this."

Although foolish behaviour on part of the teenage driver may be to blame, the fault is not his alone. As a teenager, I know just how "hip" street racing, guns and physical abuse are made to seem in the media. If youth are being constantly sent signals telling them that it's acceptable to act irresponsibly, how can they be expected to behave with maturity? It is time that the CRTC, the Entertainment Software Association of Canada, the Interprovincial Film Classification Council of Canada and other regulatory bodies enforce stricter ratings on games, movies and TV programs which promote such violence.