Black drivers are stopped less after dark when race is harder to see

Evidence

Trying to isolate the influence of race from other factors such as crime, the researchers used daylight saving time as a type of naturalistic experiment (Grogger & Ridgeway, 2006). They found that Black drivers were less likely to be stopped after dusk, when it is dark and presumably harder to ascertain a driver’s race, than at the same time of day during parts of the year when it is still light out and easier to ascertain a driver’s race. — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law, 363 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

In the largest analysis to date—consisting of nearly 100 million traffic stops conducted by dozens of agencies between 2011 to 2017—an interdisciplinary team of researchers led by Sharad Goel as part of the Stanford Open Policing Project found that Black drivers were stopped more often than White drivers (Pierson et al., 2019). Trying to isolate the influence of race from other factors such as crime, the researchers used daylight saving time as a type of naturalistic experiment (Grogger & Ridgeway, 2006). They found that Black drivers were less likely to be stopped after dusk, when it is dark and presumably harder to ascertain a driver’s race, than at the same time of day during parts of the year when it is still light out and easier to ascertain a driver’s race. In our analysis of pedestrian and traffic stops in Oakland, we also found that the magnitude of racial disparities in stops was greater when officers indicated they could determine the community member’s race prior to making the stop. — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law, 363 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Racial disparity in police stops widens when officers can visually ascertain the driver’s race — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law: A Definitive Look at…, 363; Racial disparities in traffic stops increase when officers can see a driver’s race. — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law: A Definitive Look at…, 363; Black drivers are stopped for minor offenses requiring more officer discretion — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law: A Definitive Look at…, 369 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Racial disparity in police stops widens when officers can visually ascertain the driver’s race #corroborates (0.97) — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law, 363
• Racial disparities in traffic stops increase when officers can see a driver’s race. #corroborates (0.97) — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law, 363