There's something about getting behind the wheel that seems to bring out the worst in some people.
Research shows the number of violent road rage incidents has surged over the past decade. According to AAA, eight in 10 drivers admit to expressing significant anger, aggression or road rage at least once in the previous 30 days.
No region of the country is immune to road rage. But some states seem to have far more aggressive drivers than others.
To determine which states have the most confrontational drivers, Forbes Advisor surveyed 10,000 licensed drivers and compared all 50 states across nine key metrics.
On top of the list of states with the worst road rage is California, where drivers ranked as the most confrontational across all 50 states.
The analysis found that California's roads are very ugly places, with a high percentage of drivers experiencing some type of road rage, including being cut off (47.5%), cursed at (32%) and tailgating (60.5%). The Golden State also has the eighth-highest percentage of drivers who say another driver has exited their vehicle to yell at or fight with them (11%), Forbes found.
Four of the top 10 states with the most confrontational drivers are in the South, including Oklahoma, Mississippi, Virginia and Maryland.
In contrast, Hawaii is home to the most polite drivers in the nation, according to Forbes. Three of the top 10 states with the most courteous drivers are in the Midwest: Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota, and three are in the West: Montana, Wyoming and Hawaii.
No matter which state they live in, drivers reported experiencing road rage most frequently on freeways or highways (36%), city streets (27%), intersections (12%), parking lots (6%), and rural roads (6%).
In the past 12 months, 41% of drivers witnessed an act of road rage, 32% experienced road rage from another driver and 22% felt road rage themselves, according to the survey.
The top reasons cited for feeling road rage include: another driver was driving badly (40%); another driver was driving aggressively (38%); another driver cut me off (31%); I was already feeling stressed (29%); and another driver was tailgating me (27%).
According to drivers surveyed by Forbes, truck drivers are most frequently seen exhibiting road rage (33%), followed by drivers of SUVs (23%), sports cars (20%), sedans (19%) and minivans (7%).
States With the Most Confrontational Drivers
1. California
2. Missouri
3. Utah
4. Oklahoma
5. Colorado
6. Mississippi
7. Virginia/Indiana (tie)
9. New York
10. Maryland
11. Massachusetts
12. Minnesota
13. Wisconsin
14. Arizona
15. Connecticut
16. Michigan
17. New Mexico/North Carolina (tie)
19. Illinois
20. Nevada
21. Texas
22. Louisiana
23. West Virginia
24. Ohio
25. New Jersey
26. Arkansas
27. Rhode Island
28. Tennessee
29. Kansas
30. Florida
31. New Hampshire
32. Washington
33. Oregon
34. Idaho
35. Pennsylvania
36. Kentucky
37. Alaska
38. Nebraska
39. Delaware
40. South Carolina
41. Alabama
42. Iowa
43. Montana
44. Vermont
45. Wyoming
46. Maine
47. Georgia
48. North Dakota
49. South Dakota
50. Hawaii