Macho men + macho machines = mucho accidents

Can You Judge a Driver by His Car?

Posted by Ross Pomeroy at Mon, 21 May 2012 02:00:29
Newton Blog, RealClearScience

"Don't judge a book by it's cover;" that's how the old expression goes. Roughly meaning, we shouldn't prejudge value on outward appearance.

The saying is complete rubbish of course. Humans judge people and objects on outward appearance all the time, and in some contexts, we're actually pretty good at it.

[snip]

One setting where people often form preconceived notions about others is when driving....

One study, conducted in 2011 by researchers at Temple University, seems to indicate that its possible. By conducting over 400 behavioral surveys of men and women with an average age of 23.5, the researchers gleaned the following:

• People who perceive their car as a reflection of their self-identity are more likely to behave aggressively on the road and break the law.
• People with compulsive tendencies are more likely to drive aggressively with disregard for potential consequences.
• Increased materialism, or the importance of one's possessions, is linked to increased aggressive driving tendencies.
• Young people who are in the early stages of forming their self-identity might feel the need to show off their car and driving skills more than others. They may also be overconfident and underestimate the risks involved in reckless driving.
• Those who admit to aggressive driving also admit to engaging in more incidents of breaking the law.

(More here, including a video of a Lamborghini crashing.)