The Role of Race—and Brain Science—in Pedestrian Fatalities

A pedestrian enters a crosswalk. A car approaches. Does the race of the pedestrian influence whether the driver stops the car or continues to drive through the crosswalk? A study of Las Vegas drivers published last month in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention indicates that the pedestrian’s race may influence the behavior of drivers. That’s a troubling finding, particularly given that people of color are disproportionately affected by pedestrian crashes. The study. Researchers at the University of Nevada Las Vegas selected two midblock crosswalks on minor arterial streets in the city. One crosswalk was in a higher income area. The other was in a lower income area. Two research participants, one white female and one black female, acted as pedestrians attempting to cross the street. The women were of similar heights and builds and dressed in similar, neutral colored clothing. The participants only crossed the streets when no other pedestrians were present. First, one of the pedestrians waited near the crosswalk at the curb. She watched to see when passing cars stopped to allow her to cross the street, entering the crosswalk when the nearest car stopped and yielded. The pedestrian then walked the length of the road. An observer recorded (1) the number of cars that passed on the nearest lane before yielding while the pedestrian waited on the curb and (2) the number of cars that passed through the crosswalk with the pedestrian in the same half of the roadway. The findings. Drivers in high-income areas yielded to waiting [...]