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If you drive an expensive car you're probably a jerk, scientists say

//i.imgur.com/HObgTEk.png)
From: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/26/world/expensive-car-drivers-study-scli-scn-intl/index.html

Quote:

The science is looking pretty unanimous on this one: Drivers of expensive cars are the worst.

A new study has found that drivers of flashy vehicles are less likely to stop and allow pedestrians to cross the road -- with the likelihood they'll slow down decreasing by 3% for every extra $1,000 that their vehicle is worth.

Researchers from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas speculated that the expensive car owners "felt a sense of superiority over other road users" and were less able to empathize with lowly sidewalk-dwellers.

They came to this conclusion after asking volunteers to cross a sidewalk hundreds of times, filming and analyzing the responses by car drivers.

Researchers used one white and one black man, and one white and one black woman -- also finding that cars were more likely to yield for the white and female participants. Vehicles stopped 31% of the time for both women and white participants, compared with 24% of the time for men and 25% of the time for black volunteers.

But the best predictor of whether a car would stop was its cost, researchers discovered. "Disengagement 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" among costly car owners, they theorized in the study.

And the discovery of a car-value-to-jerkish-behavior correlation isn't new; the research, published in the Journal of Transport and Health, backed up a Finnish study published last month that found that men who own flashy vehicles are more likely to be "argumentative, stubborn, disagreeable and unempathetic."

According to that survey of 1,892 drivers by the University of Helsinki, those deemed to have more disagreeable character traits were "more drawn to high-status cars."

But it also found that conscientious people often favor higher-priced vehicles, too. If you're reading this while stuck in traffic in your brand new BMW: yes, you're definitely in that category.

"I had noticed that the ones most likely to run a red light, not give way to pedestrians and generally drive recklessly and too fast were often the ones driving fast German cars," Helsinki University's Jan-Erik Lönnqvist said in a press release.
He set out to discover what kind of person is more likely to buy an expensive car, creating a personality test of Finnish car owners.

"The answers were unambiguous: self-centred men who are argumentative, stubborn, disagreeable and unempathetic are much more likely to own a high-status car such as an Audi, BMW or Mercedes," the press release states.

The study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140520300359

Unrelated video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghFJOMvdq44

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9 comments

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David9694 | 4 years ago
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I assume we're clear on cause and effect, chicken and egg here: you get the flash car because you have the traits described in the article, not the other way round? 
which is more dangerous - low empathy or low competence?

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flobble | 4 years ago
0 likes

I've read the article twice now, and I'm still searching for the cycling related content...

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hawkinspeter replied to flobble | 4 years ago
4 likes

That'll be because there isn't any.

From time to time in the comments on Road.cc there's discussions about the relationship between makes of cars and poor driving, so I though I'd put this in the "Tea Stop" category which isn't necessarily about cycling.

Also, it was an excuse to include a squirrel picture.

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flobble replied to hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
0 likes

My mistake; apologies! Here's my contribution.

The art of sock knitting has gone in and out of favour for decades. Once a popular skill to learn at primary school, not many schoolchildren are taught to knit now.

While there may be no urgent need today to send socks to soldiers, hand-knitted socks still make a lovely gift for a new baby, relative, friend or as a treat for oneself!

Whatever your reason for making socks, these days practicality is key. Time is precious, so it’s important not to waste it knitting something that won’t last, or worse – can’t be used at all! More often than not, it comes down to the choice of yarn, so choose yours wisely using our expert tips. Read on to learn more.

1. Hand-knitted socks need to be hard-wearing so delicate fibres such as silk, cashmere and bamboo are best avoided. They won’t last long and you will soon find holes are starting to appear.

2. Keep your toes cosy by picking a strong fibre blend sock yarn for the winter months. Alpaca, wool or mohair blends will create a snug warmth. You also have to consider aftercare.

3. Socks don’t have to be worn for very long before they need washing and modern living is all about convenience. Constant hand-washing would be very cumbersome, so up the level of washability – and wear – by selecting a wool-mix sock yarn that contains a small amount of man-made fibre (nylon is best).

4. When making your choice of yarn, check the care advice lablel carefully. You need to note washing instructions for yourself and, if you’re gifting the finished article to a non-knitter, they may not realise how beautiful hand-knits need to be treated.

5. A pretty handwritten cardboard label with care advice looks lovely and will give your recipient all the relevant information on how to care for their new gift.

6. Lastly, consider your colours! Pale shades will show dirt quickly so a deep, rich shade is preferable. Self-striping yarns (see picture, above) are great fun and will automatically generate stripes in your knitting as you go, hassle-free!

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to flobble | 4 years ago
2 likes

flobble wrote:

My mistake; apologies! Here's my contribution.

The art of sock knitting has gone in and out of favour for decades. Once a popular skill to learn at primary school, not many schoolchildren are taught to knit now.

While there may be no urgent need today to send socks to soldiers, hand-knitted socks still make a lovely gift for a new baby, relative, friend or as a treat for oneself!

Whatever your reason for making socks, these days practicality is key. Time is precious, so it’s important not to waste it knitting something that won’t last, or worse – can’t be used at all! More often than not, it comes down to the choice of yarn, so choose yours wisely using our expert tips. Read on to learn more.

1. Hand-knitted socks need to be hard-wearing so delicate fibres such as silk, cashmere and bamboo are best avoided. They won’t last long and you will soon find holes are starting to appear.

2. Keep your toes cosy by picking a strong fibre blend sock yarn for the winter months. Alpaca, wool or mohair blends will create a snug warmth. You also have to consider aftercare.

3. Socks don’t have to be worn for very long before they need washing and modern living is all about convenience. Constant hand-washing would be very cumbersome, so up the level of washability – and wear – by selecting a wool-mix sock yarn that contains a small amount of man-made fibre (nylon is best).

4. When making your choice of yarn, check the care advice lablel carefully. You need to note washing instructions for yourself and, if you’re gifting the finished article to a non-knitter, they may not realise how beautiful hand-knits need to be treated.

5. A pretty handwritten cardboard label with care advice looks lovely and will give your recipient all the relevant information on how to care for their new gift.

6. Lastly, consider your colours! Pale shades will show dirt quickly so a deep, rich shade is preferable. Self-striping yarns (see picture, above) are great fun and will automatically generate stripes in your knitting as you go, hassle-free!

I'm having a lot of difficulty with knitting

Oops, wrong thread.

 

Avatar
ktache | 4 years ago
3 likes

Another fine find HP, accompanied by a suitably relevent picture.

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to ktache | 4 years ago
1 like

Thanks.

Personally, I tend to be a bit make-blind so I can't say that I've noticed any correlation between makes of cars and drivers.

As an aside, if you're ever in Munich then make time to see the BMW museum - free to enter and tons of bikes/cars/planes etc.

Avatar
Simon E replied to hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
1 like

"The answers were unambiguous: self-centred men who are argumentative, stubborn, disagreeable and unempathetic are much more likely to own a high-status car such as an Audi, BMW or Mercedes".

I'm surprised you haven't noticed. This isn't news to must of us. The rise of aggressiveness and poor driving among people driving those German brands has been discussed at length on road.cc and many forums; even one J. Clarkson said some time ago that Audi drivers were "the news cocks of the road".

I have found that SUVs / Chelsea Tractors, regardles of brand, have joined van drivers as the most concerning ones to encounter on Shropshire roads.

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to Simon E | 4 years ago
0 likes

Like I say, I'm a bit make-blind - maybe because I'm not a driver myself.

If anything, I'm more cautious around work vans and taxis/ubers as they seem to be more aggressive and have a more relaxed attitude to following the rules. Haven't noticed many issues with SUVs, myself.

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