If you already know that jerks are more likely to drive fancy cars, you’re probably not going to be surprised to learn that those very same fancy cars are unlikely to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. And a new study has confirmed that’s exactly the case. A new study from the Journal of Transport and Health investigates if there is a correlation between car cost and the likelihood of not yielding to pedestrians.

The research also returned troubling results regarding overall driver behaviour towards people of colour.

The same conclusions come from two universities in the USA and Finland: there is an inverse correlation between the price of a car and the behavior of drivers

The more expensive the car, the less likely the driver is to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. But why?

The main finding is that a large proportion of cars did not yield, while more expensive cars were less likely to yield – about 3% less likely for every $1000 increase in car cost.

Who never wanted to cross the street but had to wait for a car to stop and give way? A University of Nevada Las Vegas study sought to understand what is behind this day-to-day process, and found data showing that owners of more expensive cars stop less for pedestrians to cross the street.

Who never wanted to cross the street but had to wait for a car to stop and give way? A University of Nevada Las Vegas study sought to understand what is behind this day-to-day process, and found data showing that owners of more expensive cars stop less for pedestrians to cross the street.

Excuse us if you've already devoured the latest volume of the Journal of Transport & Health, but the March issue contains the results of a novel experiment that tested a cherished automotive stereotype. The study is entitled "Estimated Car Cost as a Predictor of Driver Yielding Behavior for Pedestrians," but you can think of it as, "Are BMW drivers really jerks or what?"

You are what you drive, according to a couple of recent studies. And if you drive a flashy expensive car, there's a high chance it's because you are a self-centered gentleman who is "argumentative, stubborn, disagreeable and unempathetic."