A NEW Australian study has found more than half of 442 car drivers surveyed thought of cyclists as “not completely human”.
The study found a link between the dehumanisation of bike riders and acts of deliberate aggression towards them on the road.
Researchers at Monash University, QUT’s Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety and the University of Melbourne’s School of Psychological Sciences conducted the study which was the first to look at a road-user group with the problem of dehumanisation, which is typically studied in relation to attitudes towards racial or ethnic groups.
The study, involving respondents in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, identified people’s attitude to cyclists and whether they were cyclists or non-cyclists themselves.
A total of 55pc of non-cyclists and 30pc of cyclists rated cyclists as not completely human.
Acts of aggression towards cyclists were not uncommon, with 17pc saying they had used their car to deliberately block a cyclist, 11pc had deliberately driven their car close to a cyclist and 9pc had used their car to cut off a cyclist.
“When you do not think someone is ‘fully’ human, it’s easier to justify hatred or aggression towards them. This can set up an escalating cycle of resentment,” lead author Dr Alexa Delbosc said.
“If cyclists feel dehumanised by other road users, they may be more likely to act out against motorists, feeding into a self-fulfilling prophecy that further fuels dehumanisation against them.
“Ultimately we want to understand this process so we can do a better job at putting a human face to people who ride bikes, so that hopefully we can help put a stop to the abuse.”
