Rich Drivers Are Often The Rudest [Study]

Rich drivers (or at least drivers operating expensive cars) are apparently the rudest drivers when it comes to things like skipping turns at a four-way stop and stopping for pedestrians at a crosswalk.

The study, performed by Paul Piff at the Institute of Personality and Social Research at the University of California Berkley. While he initially published his findings in 2012, the research recently came to light when Piff was interviewed by The New York Times.

The traffic study was part of a much larger study relating to behavior and wealth. But the traffic study pitted pedestrians against passing motorists.

The study was conducted in California, where a state law requires motorists to stop at crosswalks if there is a pedestrian present. So, Piff and his team selected a crosswalk and had a pedestrian appear as a car approached.

They then gauged the reaction of the driver as the pedestrian stepped into the road. They recorded the reactions of 152 drivers. The team also watched a four-way-stop intersection to see how likely drivers were to cut in line in front of others.

After observing 274 cars, the team found that more expensive cars were more likely to go out of turn. NBC Bay Area notes that, according to Piff, BMW drivers were the worst offenders. But not to be outdone by the fancy cars, Prius drivers also “had a higher tendency to commit infractions than most.”

The researchers also noted that beater cars stopped at the crosswalk to let pedestrians cross every time. But fancy cars were also much less likely to stop, especially if the driver was male. Both female and male drivers stopped less often for a male pedestrian. Piff added that about eight of every 10 cars followed the rules.

However, a driver was more likely to skip their turn or not stop at a crosswalk if they drove an expensive car.

Do you agree that rich drivers tend to be more rude than drivers operating lower-priced cars.

[Image via Teerapun / Shutterstock.com]