Looking at you, guy who totalled my hatchback.
A new report from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, shows that drivers of expensive vehicles can stop — but likely won’t stop — for crossing pedestrians. [Featured image: @jerrito1]
We live in a fast and furious world: a new report from the UNLV finds that motorists who drive expensive, flashy, or otherwise ego-centric rides are less likely to let off the gas at pedestrian crosswalks.
Researchers in the UNLV’s study analyzed the driving habits of a total of 461 cars when approaching crosswalks. In their research — which examined video data from a prior UNLV study — they found that only 28% of drivers yielded to pedestrians. The key factor, they discovered, was the price of the car.
Specifically, they found that the likelihood of drivers slowing down decreased by 3% for every $1,000 dollars worth of the whip.
Their theory was that “[d]isengagement and a lower ability to interpret thoughts and feelings of others along with feelings of entitlement and narcissism may lead to a lack of empathy for pedestrians.”
Furthermore, the researchers found that drivers yield less frequently for men and people of color. Their studies revealed that 24% of the drivers yielded for men, and 25% for black pedestrians. Whereas cars stopped 31% of the time for women and white pedestrians. The findings of this report are consistent with similar studies regarding driving behaviors associated with gender, race, and social class.
Regarding the importance of the issue, the study states that the findings are “significant for public health and pedestrian safety, especially given the upward trend in crash rates.”
As always, look both ways before crossing the street: You never know when a Ferrari could be tearing down your block.
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