Safety vests and helmets make cyclists look ‘less human’ to other road users
Safety vests and helmets make cyclists look ‘less human’ to other road users
Bike riders wear helmets and high-vis vests to reduce their vulnerability on the road. Problem is a new study finds this dehumanises cyclists, putting them more at risk of aggression from drivers.
What a dumb fucking study. They show people pictures of two people and ask them to choose which one looks 'less human'. What the fuck does that even mean, they're obviously both human. Obviously people are going to latch onto some external difference, and if only one has safety gear, that's an extra level of "obfuscation" so if you have to choose one that's less human, that's what most people are gonna choose. But what if you don't see either of them as less human? I'm a cyclist and I agree there's a problem with how people perceive us, but forcefeeding study participants a conclusion that yoi think will make your study look good doesn't help anything.
1