With Memorial Day rapidly approaching and the onset of summer - and the inevitable spike in the number of drivers on the road, Expedia decided to poll American drivers to understand what really pisses them off the most. The 2014 Road Rage Report [4] ranks "The Texter" as the most aggravating driving behavior beating out "The Tailgater". Perhaps most interestingly, 7 in 10 Americans report having been "flipped off" by a fellow motorist (while only 17% admitted to the aggressive act) and the rudest drivers live in the largest cities (71% rank NYC as the rudest).
Via The Expedia 2014 Road Rage Report: [5]
The full list of driving behaviors ranked as "most annoying or offensive" includes (percentage identifies behaviors ranked in the top five):
The Texter (drivers who text, email or talk on a phone while driving): 69%
The Tailgater (drivers who follow others far too closely): 60%
The Multi-tasker (applying makeup, eating, reading, etc.): 54%
The Drifter (either straddling two lanes or weaving between them): 43%
The Crawler (driving well below the speed limit): 39%
The Swerver (failing to signal before changing lanes or turning): 38%
The Left-Lane Hog (drivers who occupy the passing lane without moving): 32%
The Inconsiderate (those who do not let others merge): 30%
The Speeder (driving well past the speed limit at length): 27%
The Honker (drivers who slam the horn at will): 18%
The Unappreciative (drivers who do not give a wave or gesture of thanks): 13%
The Red Light Racer (drivers who inch ever closer to the light when red): 12%
Despite the fact that Americans identify texting as the most offensive driving violator, 55% of Americans do admit to using their mobile phone at least some of the time while driving.
In addition, 70% of Americans also admit to having been guilty of aggressive driving behavior, including speeding (58%), tailgating (28%) and yelling and/or swearing at fellow drivers (28%). Men are only slightly more likely to admit to aggressive driving than women (74% to 67%).
The rudest drivers are found in the largest cities. 33% of Americans name New York City as home to the least courteous/most rage-inducing drivers. 71% of Americans put New York among the top five rudest driving cities. Los Angeles (22%) ranked second, while Atlanta (9%) came in third. Only 5% of Americans believe Boston features the country's rudest drivers, but 27% of Americans place Boston in the top five.
62% of Americans believe 16 is too young to drive
85% of American drivers are "always pleasantly surprised" to receive a wave of thanks from a fellow driver
Classic rock is the preferred road trip music for 40% of Americans, followed by:
- Country (28%)
- Golden Oldies (25%)
- Top Hits (24%)
- Pop (23%)
- Easy Listening (22%)
- Hip Hop (15%)
- Heavy Metal (10%)