Drowning in Confidence: Privilege, Inequality and Risk Perception in Vehicle Submersion Emergencies

• In Event: Environmental Sociology Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 18: Climate Emotions & Psychological Responses

Abstract

Climate change has increased the risk of extreme weather events, making flooding and vehicle submersion emergencies more common. Yet, most Americans remain unprepared and overconfidence can create a false sense of security. In this paper, we examine how privilege shapes perceptions of competence in the context of an uncommon but potentially catastrophic emergency: escaping from a flooded vehicle. Using data from a subsample of 1,000 nationally representative respondents via the 2024 Cooperative Election Study (CCES), this is the first study to examine privilege and confidence in vehicle submersions at the national level. We find that men, White respondents, and more highly educated individuals report higher levels of confidence in their ability to perform this task, while women, people of color, and less educated respondents express less confidence. Yet across all groups, knowledge about the actual procedure is strikingly low: only 8.7 percent correctly identified the correct steps for escape. This disconnect between confidence and competence reveals how privilege structures not only access to material resources, but also subjective orientations toward risk and ability. Drawing on literature from disaster sociology, gender studies on masculinity and confidence, cultural sociology, and science and technology studies on lay vs. expert knowledge, we argue that confidence functions less as an indicator of preparedness and more as a cultural marker of entitlement. In this case, privilege fosters a false sense of security, leaving those most confident ultimately no better equipped than others when faced with a life-threatening emergency. These findings complicate assumptions about resilience and preparedness, showing how inequalities in perceived competence may obscure shared vulnerabilities. We conclude by considering the implications for both sociological understandings of privilege and for public safety education, where overconfidence among the privileged may hinder the effective dissemination of life-saving knowledge.

Authors

• Elizabeth Borland, The College of New Jersey

• Jenna Needham, The College of New Jersey

• Mary Nell Trautner, University at Buffalo, SUNY

• Amber Rollins, Kids and Car Safety

• Janette Fennell