Stereotyping saves lives

In TheGuardian, Wednesday October 5, 2005, Matt Seaton writes of the "astonishing - and possibly a little outrageous - number of stereotypes [cyclists] carry around in [their] heads":

the assorted sinners of the road-going universe: U-turning black cabbies, oblivious bus drivers, flash gits in sports cars, school-run mums in SUVs, Royal Mail truck drivers "going postal", the ubiquitous white-van man.

He then turns to stereotypes drivers - and other cyclists - might have of cyclists: "lycra lout", "nodders" ("casual riders to nod their heads up and down as they pedal"), "courier-dude" (no breaks), "messenger-wannabe" (has breaks), "campaigner-commuter", "sit-up-and-beggar", "mountainbike-macho". Finally, the uncomfortable point:

It is easy to get offended by such reductive labels. But it's not just blind prejudice; we use them to predict driver behaviour. For example, Q: what is the likelihood of this vehicle ahead of me at the lights turning left without indicating? A: taxi 10%, white van 40%, SUV man talking on his mobile 90%, etc. And I suspect motorists are watching cyclists and doing the maths. Stereotypes? Don't knock 'em. They keep us alive.