Do richer drivers act like they own the road? According to a new study, they sure do. While examining the ethics of the upper class, the study found that luxury car drivers were more likely to engage in illegal and unethical behavior on the road.
Berkeley psychologists Paul Piff and Dacher Keltner along with a research team from the University of Toronto conducted seven experiments, two of which measured drivers’ ethical behavior.
First, by using Kelly Blue Book data on the year, make and model, researchers were able to extrapolate which cars could be considered luxury or high class. This included the usual suspects, like newer BMW, Porsche, Mercedes and Audi models. Then, unsurprisingly, the researchers found higher-income earners tended to drive these cars.
“[W]e piloted the procedure and found that the relationship between a person’s wealth and the value of the car they drive is very, very high.” Piff said.
The first experiment measured how many drivers failed to yield at a four way stop. Data showed 12 percent of drivers cut fellow motorists off at the intersection, with 30 percent of high-end drivers failing to yield. In the second experiment, 46 percent of high status drivers failed to yield to pedestrians at a crosswalk compared to 35 percent of a random sampling of drivers. Next time you’re crossing the street and see a BMW heading your way, watch out.
So why is that? According to the study it isn’t greed.
“Upper-class individuals’ relative independence from others and increased privacy in their professions may provide fewer structural constraints and decreased perceptions of risk associated with committing unethical acts,” the study read.
It seems those insulated cabins tune out more than just wind and road noise.
Featured Gallery
Looking to make a little extra money and own a spare shipping container? Have we got the opportunity of a lifetime for you, albeit one that could land you in prison.
Chinese nationals have been advertising on Craigslist and luring unsuspecting Americans into helping them smuggle luxury cars out of the United States and then selling them on the black market in China.
This is, of course, illegal in both countries. But it’s also highly lucrative. The Automotive News recently did a detailed investigation of the practice.
It basically works like this: A buyer in the U.S. purchases the car in cash and registers the car here, then a go-between ships the car to China. The buyer makes a few hundred dollars for their efforts. But the real money to be made in this endeavor is by the proprietors of the scam.
Read on to find out how much luxury cars cost in America, and how much profit they can bring in China:
Price in U.S. dollars: $70,000
On the black market: $160,000
An investigation brought together Homeland Security, New Hampshire State Police and major auto dealerships,according to the Exeter, N.H. Patch.
New Hampshire was a favorite place for the export ring to operate because it is the only U.S. state that has no sales tax on vehicles and it also does not require insurance on new purchases.
Research the Mercedes-Benz GL350
Mercedes-Benz GL350 Photos & Information
Mercedes-Benz GL350 Specs
Mercedes-Benz GL350 Local Dealer Price Quote
Price in U.S. dollars: $50,575
On the black market: $148,750
Authorities seized 14 vehicles they say are valued at more than $5.5 million dollars that the two people arrested in the case, Frank Ku and Danny Tsu, are in the process of losing via forfeiture laws. But that’s also a small portion of the 93 cars that authorities say made it overseas and into the hands of willing buyers.
Research the Porsche Cayenne
Porsche Cayenne Photos & Information
Porsche Cayenne Specs
Porsche Cayenne Local Dealer Price Quote
Price in U.S. dollars: $60,725
On the black market: $171,500
Police said the people responding to the Craigslist ads unwittingly broke the law when they resold the car, and that many had no idea their actions were illegal. Authorities said they only made a few hundred dollars, and would not face prosecution because they cooperated.
Research the BMW X6
BMW X6 Photos & Information
BMW X6 Specs
BMW X6 Local Dealer Price Quote
Price in U.S. dollars: $112,500
On the black market: $220,000
Authorities said the cars were shipped either from Newark, N.J., or Long Beach, Calif., but that their registrations from other states, such as New Hampshire, made them appear used.
“This is a first-of-its-kind prosecution, and I hope it will not be the last,” U.S. Attorney John Kacavas tells the Automotive News. “These rings are far-reaching.”
Research the Audi S8
Audi S8 Photos & Information
Audi S8 Specs
Audi S8 Local Dealer Price Quote