Asian Drivers May Face Heightened License Requirements Under Assembly Bill 21 [Continued]
Among other tests the Knocks study emulated the oft-cited Brady Bunch egg-tipping test in which the drivers pulls as close to an egg without toppling it with their bumbers. In 10 ethnically-mixed groups of California drivers, Asians finished last in each one. “In every group Asians had difficulty judging the distance to the egg,” said Knocks.The Knocks study concludes that Asians have less developed spacial judgment and lower field of vision due to their “scaled down and narrowed” ocular structures.
“We have not ruled out issuing driver’s licenses tailored to the abilities of Asian driver’s.”
Some researchers are not convinced by the Knocks study. Yong Kyu Choy, professor of Diversity Studies at UCLA, said that he find the Knocks study offensive. “Any claim that Asians can't see because of the shape of our eyes is racist,” she said. “Asians get in more car accidents because our brains are different. We often go into a dream state while we are driving.”
Pan-Asian American Institute Chair Bart Wong does not believe law-abiding Asians should be singled out based on a study. “We have battled this bad driving stereotype for a long time,” he said. “Extra driving education classes for Asians seems like a more measured approach than this draconian law.”
In addition to extra driving testing, Republican lawmakers also have discussed a law restricting Asian drivers to hours outside of rush hour. “We have not ruled out issuing driver’s licenses tailored to the abilities of Asian driver’s,” said Platt.
Not all Asian driver’s oppose restrictions. High school student Amy Huang Su said that she does not always feel able to navigate a vehicle through heavy Los Angeles traffic. “Sometimes I just zone out when I’m driving and it doesn’t feel safe,” she said. “I also can’t judge distances well sometimes.” Huang said that if the state set limits on her driving privileges she would be saddened but understanding.
