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SYDNEY, Australia - Men show greater courtesy to women in traffic than they do to other male drivers, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Queensland.
The Aussie study also found that women behaved in similar fashion towards men.
The role of gender in road courtesy appeared to work both ways, researchers Redzo Mujcicc and Paul Frijters found, with female drivers on a main road more likely to let male drivers enter the traffic flow from a side street than their own gender.
SIDE-STREET SHUFFLE
They observed a total of almost 1000 right-of-way events in the Queensland state capital, Brisbane, and found that drivers allowed others in front of them in almost 40% of cases observed just before a traffic light or traffic circle.
Men stopped 42% of the time in such a situation, women 37%, but the researchers concluded that the difference was not statistically significant.
However, when taking into account the gender of the driver entering the main flow of traffic, the researchers found that 22% more men than women let a woman in from a side street and 15% more women than men let a man in.
The biggest effect on driving courtesy, however, was made by the presence of a passenger in the car that had right of way. This increased drivers' willingness to let others in by a 25%, the researchers found.
The Aussie study also found that women behaved in similar fashion towards men.
The role of gender in road courtesy appeared to work both ways, researchers Redzo Mujcicc and Paul Frijters found, with female drivers on a main road more likely to let male drivers enter the traffic flow from a side street than their own gender.
SIDE-STREET SHUFFLE
They observed a total of almost 1000 right-of-way events in the Queensland state capital, Brisbane, and found that drivers allowed others in front of them in almost 40% of cases observed just before a traffic light or traffic circle.
Men stopped 42% of the time in such a situation, women 37%, but the researchers concluded that the difference was not statistically significant.
However, when taking into account the gender of the driver entering the main flow of traffic, the researchers found that 22% more men than women let a woman in from a side street and 15% more women than men let a man in.
The biggest effect on driving courtesy, however, was made by the presence of a passenger in the car that had right of way. This increased drivers' willingness to let others in by a 25%, the researchers found.
