Speeding Cardiologists in Florida Most Likely to Drive ‘Luxury’ Cars

Cardiologists stopped by law enforcement for speeding in Florida are much more likely than physicians in other specialties to be driving a high-end luxury car, such as a BMW, Mercedes-Benz, or Porsche, according to a new study of physician driving behaviors.

Despite being more likely than other specialists to drive swankier cars, cardiologists weren’t the fastest drivers on the road, a title held by psychiatrists. In total, 31.2% of psychiatrists busted for speeding were going more than 20 mph above the speed limit compared with 29.1% of cardiologists. In contrast, just 22.4% of pediatricians and 22.9% or surgeons caught speeding were going more than 20 mph over the posted limit.

The study is published in BMJ’s “Christmas issue,” an annual tradition which seeks to showcase “light-hearted fare and satire,” so long as it is legitimate research. “We do not publish spoofs, hoaxes, or fabricated studies,” the BMJ notes.

André Zimerman, MD (Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA), who led the study, said the idea for their research emerged around physician “personalities” within the specialties.

“The smart clinician, the ‘macho’ orthopedist, the lovable family physician, the adrenaline-seeking emergency doctor,” he said in an email. “Even though stereotypes may be inaccurate, they shape professions and are largely perpetuated. Now, we had the opportunity to use speeding tickets as a window to study these preconceptions in the medical field. It seemed both insight-generating and fun to explore.”

The group looked at 5,372 physicians who received 14,560 speeding tickets in Florida between 2004 and 2017. They were compared with a sample population of 19,639 nonphysicians issued a ticket during the same period. Overall, doctors didn’t drive any faster than nonphysicians, with roughly 26% of both groups issued a ticket for extreme speeding, defined as more than 20 mph over the posted limit. Overall, the mean speed over the limit was 15.8 mph.

Among the doctors, psychiatrists had the heaviest foot. Compared with anesthesiologists, for example, they were 51% more likely to be ticketed for extreme speeding (95% CI 1.07-2.14). In terms of outliers, one general internist was clocked at 70 mph above the speed limit. Of the ticketed physicians, just 16.9% were women.

For cardiologists caught going too fast, more than 40% were driving a luxury car, such as an Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lexus, Lotus, Maserati, Mercedes, Porsche, Tesla, or Volvo. In contrast, just one in five family medicine doctors drove a luxury car. Overall, 31.4% of doctors stopped for speeding drove a luxury vehicle compared with 11.8% of nonphysicians.

“The central reason for more luxury cars among cardiologists is straightforward: income,” said Zimerman. “Cardiologists are among the top-five earners in the medical field. As expected, specialties driving fewer luxury cars, such as family medicine and pediatrics, are also more poorly compensated. But interestingly, income doesn't explain the whole story: orthopedists earn more than cardiologists and seem to drive less luxury cars, while internists drive more luxury cars than would be expected. While I don't personally believe in the narcissistic cardiologist stereotype—especially as a soon-to-be cardiologist myself—the excess in luxury cars certainly doesn't help our point of view.”

As for cops being sympathetic to certain physicians rushing to the hospital, such as ER doctors, surgeons, or obstetricians/gynecologists, investigators found no relationship between physician specialty and leniency by police officers when issuing tickets.