Why Do Pricey Car Drivers Have a Superiority Sense Over Pedestrians?

With only 28% of drivers yielding to a pedestrian in a midblock crosswalk to begin with, meaning the overwhelming majority of drivers just blow off the concept of putting people following the law first, that sad yielding percentage goes down even further if you're not a white female and you drive a fancier car.

Stats don't lie.

The research comes from the March issue of the Journal of Transport & Health where the likelihood of a driver yielding to a pedestrian in a marked midblock crosswalk dropped 3% for every $1,000 increase in the value of their car. The study also suggested drivers are more likely to yield to women and white people, in general.

Studies done on the narcissism of some wealthy individuals are well documented, empathy is rarely part of their equation, but people in general who drive nicer cars just don't seem to care about people crossing the street. That sounds harsh, but again, stats don't lie.

Now, not everyone who drives a sweet ride is like this, besides, with nicer cars, maybe drivers are used to the advanced safety features that ding, whoop or clang when danger is imminent. Experts warn that developing a false sense of security about being warned by the vehicle if you're going to hit a pedestrian, is dangerous. The idea is to drive like you DON'T have any of these fancy safety systems, and you only have YOU to rely on.