LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The cross walk on Maryland Parkway by UNLV stays busy. It features various safety precautions like lights and signs to alert drivers of pedestrians crossing, but some say the flash of yellow is not enough to stop flashy cars.
“I’ve seen mainly more expensive cars pass by,” said pedestrian Robert Mitchell.
A UNLV study finds the likelihood of nicer cars slowing down dropped 3% for every extra $1,000 that the car is worth. Some pedestrians agree.
“I believe definitely the expensive car part,” said pedestrian Erin White. “I feel like they kind of assume they’ll be the last car to go through so it’s scary to walk through.”
Researchers analyzed video data of volunteers crossing a sidewalk hundreds of times. Scientists speculated expensive car owners felt a sense of superiority over others, a sentiment some agree with.
“I just feel like it’s the kind person who usually buys those types of cars are a little bit more, thinking higher of themselves,” said pedestrian Finnick Lakeotes. “Thinking they have the right-away a little bit more than somebody else.”
The study also found drivers yielding less to men and non-whites at mid-block crosswalks. Researchers add it’s consistent with similar studies on this topic associated with social class, race and gender.
