May 15, 2007
Miami has the meanest drivers in the country and the highest rate of road rage followed closely by New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC.
The "In the Driver's Seat Road Rage Survey" was conducted by Prince Market Research for AutoVantage, a Connecticut-based automobile membership club offering travel services and roadside assistance.
From January to March, more than 2,500 drivers who regularly commute in 25 major metropolitan areas were surveyed by telephone to rate road rage and rude driving.
Miami came out on top with the rudest drivers for the second straight year.
The nicest drivers are found in Portland, Pittsburgh; Seattle-Tacoma, St. Louis and Dallas-Fort Worth according to the survey.
People participating in the survey were asked to rate drivers who ran red lights, slammed on their brakes, talked on cell phones, tailgated or engaged in other common road rage and bad driving traits.
According to the survey, St. Louis drivers were the least-likely to swear at another driver, while Portland drivers were the least likely to tailgate.
The most frequent cause of road rage cited in the survey was impatient motorists. Drivers also cited poor driving in fast lanes and driving while stressed, frustrated or angry.
"The best piece of advice is to take a deep breath. Slow down, be aware and be careful," AutoVantage spokesman Todd Smith said, adding the aim of the survey is to increase driver safety across the nation.
The list, ranked from those reporting the most incidents of road rage to the fewest:
1. Miami
2. New York
3. Boston
4. Los Angeles
5. Washington, D.C.
6. Phoenix
7. Chicago
8. Sacramento, Calif.
9. Philadelphia
10. San Francisco
11. Houston
12. Atlanta
13. Detroit
14. Minneapolis-St. Paul
15. Baltimore
16. Tampa, Fla.
17. San Diego
18. Cincinnati
19. Cleveland
20. Denver
21. Dallas-Ft. Worth
22. St. Louis
23. Seattle-Tacoma
24. Pittsburgh
25. Portland, Ore.
