Israeli scientists analyzed data on speeding tickets issued in the country and found a link between the size of the car and drivers’ tendency to swerve.

Authors of scientific studies published in the journal Marketing Letters— Business and management experts from David Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel). They noted a clear trend towards an increase in the number of large and heavy vehicles on the roads, such as SUVs and pickup trucks. It is believed that they keep drivers and passengers safer in the event of an accident. At the same time, such cars pose an increasing threat to pedestrians and other road users.

Researchers decided to check whether the personal sense of security of drivers of large cars influences their behavior behind the wheel and whether this makes them riskier for others.

To this end, the scientists used a database from the Israeli Ministry of Transport and Road Safety, comparing records of passenger transport operating in the country in 2018 with information from the Israeli police on speeding tickets issued over a 12-month period.

In total, the scientists examined information on 2,162,525 passenger cars, including detailed specifications of each and the number of speeding tickets their owners had received.

When assessing the relationship between the mass of cars and the behavior of drivers behind the wheel, the authors of the article used a two-stage regression using the least squares method. This model, as in related studies, was used to eliminate possible bias due to the fact that risk-averse people are more likely to prefer large cars.

As a result, the analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between the mass of the car and the number of speeding tickets issued to the driver. It turned out that for every percentage increase in the weight of the car, the expected number of tickets increased by 0.024. Thus, the assumption that drivers of large vehicles are more likely to violate the speed limit is confirmed.

The researchers also looked at other traffic violations, such as talking on the phone while driving, not wearing a seat belt, and not obeying traffic lights. The results also show that drivers of large vehicles are more likely to be reckless and commit the violations listed.

Finally, the researchers recommended that the responsible authorities take into account the possible tendency for risky behavior when using heavy vehicles and warn consumers about this. According to the scientists, those who sell these machines should also participate in the dissemination of recommendations for the safe use of such machines.