Drivers today seem to be angrier and more confrontational than ever.
Nearly 80% of drivers have "expressed anger, aggression or road rage behind the wheel at least once within the previous 30 days," according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
Additionally, data from Everytown for Gun Safety shows that road rage shootings have spiked over the last several years. In 2022, 413 people were injured and 141 people died in road rage shootings. That's compared to 176 people injured and 70 people killed from road rage shootings in 2018.
The numbers indicate aggressive drivers can be found anywhere, but where exactly in the United States are road rage encounters more likely to occur?
To determine which states have the most confrontational drivers, Forbes Advisor conducted a survey of 10,000 licensed drivers and compared all 50 states across nine key metrics.
Considering how hot it gets there, it should be no surprise that Arizona has been named the state with the highest number of confrontational drivers on the road.
The analysis found that Arizona's roads are very ugly places, as one in five Arizonans has been forced off the road by another driver at least once. Plus, 56% of the state's motorists say other people routinely block them when they try to change lanes, while 81% say they've been screamed at, insulted or threatened by other drivers, per the survey.
One in three Arizonans say another driver has actually gotten out of his or her vehicle to fight, Forbes found.
Five of the top 10 states with the most confrontational drivers are in the South, including West Virginia, Virginia, Oklahoma, Alabama and Texas.
In contrast, Delaware has been determined to have the highest number of courteous drivers in the country, according to Forbes Advisor. Only 5% say they’ve been forced off the road, 11% say they've been cut off and just 8% say they’ve been confronted by another driver, per the survey.
Four of the top 10 states with the most polite drivers are in the Pacific and West, including Idaho, Wyoming, Washington and New Mexico.
No matter which state they live in, drivers reported experiencing road rage most frequently on city streets (29.18%), on freeways or highways (26.59%) and in parking lots (14.9%).
The top reasons cited for feeling road rage include: heavy traffic (39.35%), already feeling stressed (38.06%), running late (33.89%), already feeling angry (32.49%), and feeling tired (26.86%).
States With the Most Confrontational Drivers
1. Arizona
2. Rhode Island
3. West Virginia
4. Virginia
5. Oklahoma
6. Alabama
7. Connecticut
8. Illinois
9. Texas
10. Ohio
11. Montana
12. New York
13. California
14. Alaska
15. Colorado
16. Massachusetts
17. Florida
18. Missouri
19. Maryland
20. Oregon
21. Utah
22. Nevada
23. Arkansas
24. Vermont
25. Maine
26. Pennsylvania
27. New Jersey
28. Kansas
29. North Dakota
30. South Carolina
31. Georgia
32. Wisconsin
33. Nebraska
34. North Carolina
35. Tennessee
36. Hawaii
37. Michigan
38. Mississippi
39. Minnesota
40. Kentucky
41. New Mexico
42. Indiana
43. Iowa
44. Washington
45. New Hampshire
46. Wyoming
47. Louisiana
48. South Dakota
49. Idaho
50. Delaware
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