Cyclists May be Targeted on Roads Because Motorists Dehumanize Them

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Dehumanization of cyclists can create a vicious cycle. A significant percentage of study respondents said that they have driven aggressively around cyclists, cutting them off at intersections, driving very near them, or blocking them.

This behavior is dangerous, and cyclists who are treated as second-class road users are likely to retaliate, creating a classic model for escalation in which cyclists deliberately provoke motorists because they feel bullied on the roads.

 

Protecting Dehumanized Cyclists by Changing the Wording

 

The study’s authors speculate that simply eliminating the use of the word “cyclist” could help to combat dehumanization. By using the word “people” when talking of cyclists, we would be forced to recognize their humanity and would be less inclined to indulge in risky or aggressive behavior when we encounter cyclists on the road.

Although the study is no doubt interesting, it poses some interesting questions. For example, are cyclists safer in countries where there is no special word for being a cyclist? Did participants rate cyclists lower on the humanity scale because of their activity, or because of their hunched posture? How did cyclists rate motorists on the humanity scale? Further work will be required in order to determine the significance of the finding.