Study: Bumper stickers = Aggressive drivers
Photo by richardmasoner | CC 2.0 (click for above more)
Colorado State University researchers have recently concluded a study on driver behavior revealing something that may or may not be surprising to you: drivers who personalize their cars with bumper stickers, custom plates and other such markings are likely to be more aggressive and confrontational out on the road. It's all about marking your territory, say the CSU eggheads. When people use their rear bumper to, say, advertise who they voted for in the last three presidential elections (along with every associated platform issue), brag about how smart their precious kids are, or remind us about the highly unfortunate event that took place on October 27, 2004, it's really the adhesive-based equivalent of what that next-door-neighbor's dog does when he lifts his leg on your gardenias.
Those stickers make cars an extension of their drivers' home turf, which they will defend if they feel you're threatening it in any way. Conversely, people whose autos retain their stock appearance are more likely to show patience behind the wheel. So, the next time you're getting yelled at, honked at, or getting the finger from another driver, try to sneak a peek at the rear bumper as they drive off in a huff. Chances are you'll find some reading material there.
Flip through the gallery below to see who you think might be the most aggressive drivers according to this new study.
Gallery: Bumper Sticker Gallery
[Source: The Washington Post]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Chris 4:38PM (6/18/2008)
i like the "if god didnt want us to eat animals..." sticker....it made me LOL
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Cary 4:18AM (6/20/2008)
Not sure if it's ironic or what, but today I got cut-off by a dyke in a prius that was wielding the "Random acts of kindness" sticker, along with "war is not the answer," and it was topped off with a large rainbow flag on the back window and best of all "Veagans taste better." I'm a rare breed, conservative, 22 year old, black male. I was taken completely by surprise and didn't know what to do. I wish some girl would punch her in the face. That would make me feel better. Ha!
Wow, was that relevant?
TJ 4:38PM (6/18/2008)
how about you add a few more anti-bush stickers to your gallery? Tuck in your skirt, your bias is showing...
OTOH: My favorite was a lifted TJ with a sticker that said "My carbon footprint is bigger than yours."
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2004m3driver 4:49PM (6/18/2008)
Its a blog. Who cares if hes biased towards bush. over 70% of us dislike him anyways, so he is just pandering to the masses.
mk 5:05PM (6/18/2008)
It is reflective of reality.
Almost ALL political bumperstickers are left-over liberal democrat ones.
One of my favorites locally is Kerry Edwards '04, and Wellstone!, and the 1st gen prius that has all the Green decals, and democrat environmentalist stickers...
it all screams "Look at how good *I AM*!!!" Far more ideological liberals do that than any other group. the rest of the bumper-sticker crowd are students just messing around with junker cars, or a mix of both politics and irreverence.
Very few conservatives are insecure enough to feel desire to plaster their property with junk stickers of any persuasion, and those who do, most remove them when no longer relevant.
Maybe the Bias isn't Autoblog's, but rather the bumper-sticker'd driver's.
MikeofLA 5:25PM (6/18/2008)
The one that says "if your not outraged, your not paying attention" applies to your post. BTW, I'm an educated, white, middle class American, that benefits from Bush's "tax cuts", but i think he is a complete and utter dip-$hlt. I carry no bumper stickers on my car.
Richard James 5:36PM (6/18/2008)
Whichever way your political leanings, I always find the juxtaposition of "Peace" and "War is not the answer" stickers with "%#$ Bush" to be quite comical. Nothing like a little hate speech to accompany your pleas for non-violence.
I've also noticed that a car with a "random acts of kindness" or some other sticker that professes the driver's love for fellow humanity is the most likely to cut you off, speed up to close the hole you were moving in to or cut into a long line of cars exiting the freeway. But its OK, because they have a bumper sticker proclaiming how nice they are.
mk 6:44PM (6/18/2008)
@MikeofLA,
I just said that people who have bumperstickers of a political nature tend to be liberal, not that all liberals tend to use bumperstickers.
I am a white, middle class, midwestern-living American, and I will take every last cent of my money back from the government that the law allows me to. It isn't their money, it is MY money (read: work-generated value) that they decide they have the ability to seize and spend foolishly, and waste most of. I can spend it better and more appropriately and more generously than they do.
While I think Bush is a weak-ish politician as usual, and not a particularly conservative one, the liberal choices are socialist nightmares in suits, including the presumptive democrat presidential candidate, and the other democrat presidential candidate.
But I don't have bumperstickers on my car either. Heck, I don't even have the brand and model badges on the back of my car anymore, just the oval logo. very clean. And Subarus are not known for being a conservative's vehicle of choice, but my Legacy GT isn't exactly an "outdoorsy" outback wagon with a kayak on top, either.
gt2378b 6:06PM (6/23/2008)
Once I saw a car with both "Free Tibet" and "End Theocracy."
vkchu 4:39PM (6/18/2008)
from what ive seen, it's usually drivers of rustbuckets from yesteryear that swathe their rides in stickered nonsense. probably theyre more angry from their junker ride than anything else... (sorry, stereotypes :] )
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iCameiSawiConquered 4:44PM (6/18/2008)
nothing like Hummer H2 drivers with those yellow ribbon magnets....
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Chris 4:50PM (6/18/2008)
why is that? It symbolizes support for our troops....
Lee Gibson 6:03PM (6/18/2008)
Seems to me that it symbolizes support for the Chinese factory that makes yellow ribbon magnets, but maybe I'm crazy.
judd 4:48PM (6/18/2008)
That explains hybrid drivers.
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jg 4:58PM (6/18/2008)
I just don't understand why someone would put a bumper sticker on a car. Did you think the designers missed something?
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Bryan Riddle 12:27PM (6/19/2008)
I crashed my last car (crx) and I'm already collecting stickers for the next one... some people just like to communicate their opinions and humor to random strangers. too bad you can't buy truck nuts in germany...
Eric Liberatore 5:00PM (6/18/2008)
I disagree with this results of this study. I have a car with no bumper stickers yet I am an agressive driver (minus the gesturing and vulgarities).
The results should be "Bumper Stickers = No taste in style"
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Jim in Tampa 7:16PM (6/18/2008)
I have two political bumper stickers on my car and my mother even says I drive like an old lady.
SPF 5:04PM (6/18/2008)
I don't get it man, only performance parts stickers get you more horsepower. These don't do $hit !!!
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ddub 5:08PM (6/18/2008)
I guess san francisco has the most aggressive drivers on the planet then?
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