UNLV Study Finds That Motorists Are Less Likely to Yield to Black Pedestrians Than to Whites

A new study by researchers at the University of Nevada Las Vegas finds that motorists are less likely to yield to Black pedestrians in crosswalks than is the case for White pedestrians. The authors speculate that this may be a reason for the higher rate of fatal pedestrian incidents in the African American community.

Researchers used two women – one White and one Black – and had them cross streets in two neighborhoods on a sunny morning. One neighborhood was high-income and the other low-income. The results showed that 20.6 percent of motorists did not yield to the Black pedestrian in the crosswalk compared to 2.9 percent of the White pedestrians. The racial disparity was greater in the high-income neighborhood compared to the low-income neighborhood.

Courtney Coughenour, a professor of community health sciences at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the lead author of the study, stated that “often times the decision of whether or not to yield to a pedestrian is made very quickly, so it is likely that any bias drivers may have is unconscious.”

The study, “Examining Racial Bias as a Potential Factor in Pedestrian Crashes,” was published in the journal Accident Analysis & Prevention. It may be accessed here.

The results of this study mirror the findings of a similar research effort mounted by scholars at Portland State University and the University of Arizona that was discussed in an earlier JBHE post.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

Edward Waters University Honors College Launches Journal to Highlight HBCU Research

The new HBCU Journal of Research Initiatives is the successor to Edward Water's former journal, The Edward Waters College Research Journal, which ceased publication during the COVID-19 pandemic.

New Faculty Appointments for Four Black Scholars

The appointments are Ronnie Ursin at Borough of Manhattan Community College, Wesley Cox at Fullerton College, Wanda Arrington at Alcorn State University, and Lassiter Speller at Eastern New Mexico University. If you have news for our appointments section, please email the information to contact@jbhe.com.

North Carolina A&T Announces Significant Growth in Graduate Degree Offerings

This fall, North Carolina A&T State University welcomed its first cohort of students in the new doctor of nursing practice degree, the master's degree in criminal justice, and the Ph.D. in criminal justice programs. The HBCU now offers nearly 50 graduate degrees.

Three Black Authors Named Finalists for Yale’s 2024 Frederick Douglass Book Prize

The finalists are Kerri Greenidge, professor at Tufts University; Sarah Johnson, professor at the University of California, San Diego; and Emily Owens, professor at Brown University.
spot_img

Featured Jobs