It’s a line famously attributed to the pedestrians of New York City, and it paints the people of the east coast as aggressive, whether on the sidewalk or behind the wheel of a car. But according to a recent study, it’s not actually all that accurate of a portrayal.
From a survey of 5,000 drivers from across the U.S., Forbes
created a list of the 10 states with the most confrontational drivers. New York
didn’t come close, and the only east coast states that did—Maryland and Delaware—managed to stay out of the top five. Even more surprising, the state that took the #1 spot for the most aggressive drivers per capita was Utah. Jerry
, your car insurance super app, took a closer look at the survey’s findings to give you the highlights. States with most road rage all west of the Mississippi
The first things that spring to mind when people think of Utah are usually Salt Lake City and wide, open spaces. Angry drivers don’t make the list… ever.
But according to Forbes’ survey, three out of four people from the state have been honked at by someone else in frustration. The same number had been tailgated.
More than half of the respondents from Utah said they’d been on the receiving end of a rude or offensive gesture from another driver, and about a quarter of them said they knew someone from Utah who was injured in an incident caused by road rage
. Oddly enough, states that scored similarly to Utah have similar geography. Missouri came in second, followed by Colorado, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.
Low levels of road rage found where you wouldn’t expect
While similarities could be found between the states where road rage is most rampant, the areas with the least amount of road rage had much less in common.
The survey found that North Dakota had the most amicable drivers in the U.S. Pennsylvania, Michigan, Florida, New York, and Texas followed in that order.
Overall, the survey found that one in five Americans has seen someone cause an accident because of road rage and that almost a quarter of the country has known someone who has been injured as a result of road rage.
85% of respondents said they’d experienced one form of road rage or another, whether it was aggressive honking, rude gestures, tailgating, and being cut off, or more aggressive behavior like being bumped, driven off the road, or shot at
. MORE: Washington Woman Tragically Killed in Apparent Road Rage Incident
The effect of road rage on car insurance
For victims of road rage, the effect can take a mental and, in the worst cases, a physical toll. For people allowing road rage to affect their driving, incidents can also put their mental and physical health at risk, but they can also inflict financial damage as well.
Forbes says that on average, car insurance in the U.S. increases by 45% after an accident causing property damage and by 47% if you cause an accident that results in injuries.
Have a question about your coverage? Jerry’s friendly agents are here to answer your questions and provide advice on the best coverage options. As your life changes, your insurance changes, and Jerry is ready to make those adjustments for you.
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