The pedestrian will only scream in agony when you run over them, and lay still on the walkway.
I don't know about drifting/tire physics here. But on some videos, some people made a short brake slide when raining.
It doesn't punish you from doing anything you like in this game, so it is a simulator alright. But you are constantly warned if you do something dangerous in-game like changing lanes without blinkers/turning sign, speeding, getting too close to other vehicles, do not yield to pedestrian on "yield" sign, etc. So it is mainly educational, with so many potentials.