Drivers are twice as likely to stop for a member of the opposite sex than someone of the same gender, a research project by the University of Queensland has found.
The study of 1000 drivers at busy Brisbane intersections found that about 40 percent of all commuters stopped to let others in at an intersection whilst 60 per cent kept going.
Around 42 percent of male drivers stopped, while only 37 percent of female drivers showed the same courtesy. Both sexes were twice as likely to stop if someone was sitting in the passenger seat, suggesting drivers behave more altruistically if someone is watching.
Older people were more likely to stop than younger drivers and those behind the wheel of a cheap car were the least likely to stop, the study found.
Drivers are also more likely to stop for other cars similar to their own but low status cars were almost 18 per cent less likely to stop for high status cars than for other cheap cars.
Read more at The University of Queensland