Most Americans are guilty of frustration while driving. While the specific actions can vary from one person to another, road rage is a common part of many people’s commute.
From excessive honking of horns to vulgar gestures out the window, road rage can be displayed in a variety of ways.
At the Lemon Law Experts, we know that occasional road rage is normal, but for some people it can escalate into dangerous situations for everyone on the roadway. That’s why we set out to learn where Americans are giving into these frustrations most frequently.
To do this, we surveyed residents in each state and asked a variety of questions about the types of road rage behaviors they are guilty of, what behaviors they have witnessed, how road rage has changed in the past year in their state, and more.
We then awarded points to responses that represented road rage and calculated an average score for each state.
Finally, those scores were adjusted on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 representing the most road rage. Read on to learn which state is home to the most hot-headed drivers.
Key Takeaways
- Nebraska and Mississippi residents are most likely to give into road rage.
- Angry facial expressions and yelling are the most common behaviors Americans admit to.
- Tailgating and cutting someone off are the most common behaviors people witness.
- Nearly 1 in 5 feel road rage at least once a week.
- 1 in 4 encounter road rage at least once a week.
- Ford and BMW are the brands most associated with aggressive driving and road rage.
- Black and red cars are most associated with aggressive driving and road rage.
Where Americans Are Most Guilty of Road Rage
It’s common to let a little anger out when a car cuts you off, but some drivers give into road rage more often than others. Leading the way for the worst road rage is Nebraska with a score of 95.33 out of 100.
Overall, 1 in 4 residents of the state say they give into road rage at least once a week. Additionally, 55% of parents in Nebraska admit they’ve given into road rage while their child was in the car.
Coming in second place with a road rage score of 91.96 out of 100 is Mississippi where 1 in 9 residents say they give into road rage multiple times a week.
Following closely behind in third place is Arkansas (91.61) where Ford vehicles are the most common brand residents associate with road rage behaviors.
Rounding out the top five for states giving into road rage most are Texas (89.96) and Washington (87.86) in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
When it comes to trends witnessed by state, we found residents of Colorado and Oregon are the most likely to think road rage has gotten worse in their state in the past year.
While any person can feel frustrated when behind the wheel, we wanted to learn which types of vehicles Americans most commonly associate with road rage.
First up, we found people are most likely to think those behind the wheel of Ford and BMW vehicles are the most likely to give into their anger while driving.
Similarly, Americans believe people who drive black or red cars are the most common culprits of road rage.
Behaviors People Admit To and What They Witness
After learning about the road rage trends across the country, we wanted to dive into the actual behaviors people admit to and what they witness. Up first, with 67% of Americans admitting to it are angry facial expressions.
From a dirty look at a driver after being cut off to a scowl directed toward someone who is distracted by their phone, many people have given into this form of road rage.
Up next is a slight escalation in behavior as 54% of respondents admit they have yelled at another driver.
This is followed by rude gestures like flipping the bird, which 52% of people say they have done out of anger while driving.
Wrapping up the top five for road rage behaviors people admit to are honking excessively (34%) and tailgating (33%), which claim fourth and fifth place, respectively.
While some drivers rarely give into road rage, we found 1 in 4 people encounter it at least once a week.
Topping the list for the most common behavior witnessed is tailgating, as 76% of people report seeing other drivers following a bit too closely behind another car out of anger.
Coming in second place for road rage witnessed is cutting someone off, which 3 in 4 Americans say they’ve seen.
This is followed by rude gestures (72%), angry facial expressions (71%), and honking excessively (66%) in third, fourth, and fifth place, respectively.
In some cases, road rage can be dangerous, not just for those cars involved but for everyone on the roadway.
Overall, we found 1 in 5 Americans have witnessed a driver get out of their car in an attempt to intimidate another driver.
Similarly, 1 in 6 people have seen a person throw something at another driver’s car, and 6% of people have even witnessed a driver display a weapon after an incident on the road.
Eliminate Lemon Law Frustrations
At its core, road rage is often about a loss of control. Traffic is unpredictable, other drivers are unpredictable, and when your own vehicle becomes unreliable, it can feel like everything is working against you.
At the Lemon Law Experts, we work with people every day who have been plagued by repeat car repairs that never seem to work.
For drivers facing these constant repairs, exploring lemon law protections is about more than compensation — it’s about removing a constant source of stress from everyday life.
If you find yourself constantly visiting repair shops only to return again soon after, you may be eligible to file a lemon law claim. Get started today and submit a free case evaluation to learn how our attorneys can help.
Methodology
In this study, we set out to learn about road rage in America. To do this, we surveyed residents in each state and asked what behaviors they are guilty of, what they have witnessed, how frequently they feel road rage, what behaviors make them angriest, and more.
We then awarded points to each behavior respondents admitted to and the frequency at which they feel road rage. We then calculated an average score by state.
Finally, we adjusted those scores on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 representing where people give into road rage most.
