Top Cities with the Most Aggressive Drivers

[left-of-center2012]

GasBuddy Reveals Top Cities with the Most Aggressive Drivers
Los Angeles drivers 22% more aggressive than average US driver
Rank Metro Percentage of More/Less Aggressive Driving Than Average US Driver

1 Los Angeles 21.98%
2 Philadelphia 21.83%
3 Sacramento 21.53%
4 Atlanta 20.26%
5 San Francisco 19.02%
6 San Diego 17.57%
7 Orlando 9.33%
8 Detroit 7.81%
9 Austin 6.53%
10 Las Vegas 6.44%
11 Charlotte 6.17%
12 Pittsburgh 5.30%
13 Phoenix 4.82%
14 Boston 4.34%
15 Dallas-Fort Worth 4.07%
16 Chicago 3.14%
17 Miami-Fort Lauderdale 2.54%
18 Baltimore 2.42%
19 Tampa-St. Petersburg 2.08%
20 Washington D.C. -0.15%
21 San Antonio -1.24%
22 Houston -1.37%
23 New York -1.94%
24 Kansas City -2.33%
25 St. Louis -3.00%
26 Denver -3.16%
27 Portland, OR -4.44%
28 Cincinnati -6.13%
29 Seattle -10.23%
30 Minneapolis-St. Paul -12.59%

https://business.gasbuddy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/GasBuddy_Cities_Aggressive_Drivers_US_2019_Report.pdf

[Takket]

1. 4 of the top 6 are California cities.........

my city is at #8

[gratuitous]

7. Throw a hankie over the top 4

I figured San Francisco would be at or near the top. I haven't driven there for years, but I learned quickly that concepts like "merging" and "yielding the right of way" were not recognized in the Bay Area. I did okay for the limited time I was visiting, but there was always a bit of a learning curve when I came back for another visit. SF drivers aren't rude, per se, but a limited amount of highway space for a large number of vehicles means you have to stake your place in traffic. Nobody's going to give it to you.

[FirstLight]

15. Ha!

I grew up in the Bay....and it's funny how it is something you don't forget. I've been a 2 lane road girl for the last 20 years, but this weekend held my own through the bay and merging and all of it...

My "defensive driving" instincts are still there RAWR!

[DonaldsRump]

27. Absolutely about the SF area

I've never seen a place except the Bay Area where people merging onto the freeway from an onramp cut into the freeway lane, expecting cars already on the road to give way to them. Dear people, it's the other way around! There's a new English word you might want to look up called "yield."

Also it's quite incredible how drivers race up and down the steep hills in the area and tailgate like crazy.

Love the area, but the driving here is insane.

[Tree-Hugger]

30. They do that here.

Philadelphia. #2 on this list.

[moonscape]

36. In CA those coming onto the

freeway are in a merge situation, not a yield, as the onramp to the freeway is considered a freeway lane. That blew me away too; I was on the losing end of a friendly bet on this

[DonaldsRump]

37. Really?

Yipes, I guess I need to stop yelling at them then!

On a recent trip in a very large RV, it really was a problem, as I constantly had to be shifting our huge rental rig at onramps to allow cars to enter the lane that were not yielding.

But if that's law, that makes it different. It's funny, though, when I try this, everyone honks at me!

[moonscape]

40. They need to make this clear in the

driver’s handbook because there’s a lot of confusuion on it. They also need to be more clear in the code. When they talk about yielding when entering a road/highway, it’s obviously correct when it’s in any situation that doesn’t involve a ramp. When I was reading on this, trying to win my bet, I learned not all cops are clear on it either.

The truth outs when liability is an issue

[watoos]

2. Santiago, Chile,

and I drove the LA freeways.

[hlthe2b]

3. I can surely attest to LA being #1 and Atlanta being #4 (at least)...

I'm surprised Denver only ranks 26th. I'm guessing this did not include the front range commuters or it would surely have jumped well up the rankings.

[customerserviceguy]

4. I am completely surprised

that NYC is not in the top five of the list. Maybe if they considered NJ drivers...

[JHB]

19. Hell, it's even in the "below average" zone.

[tavernier]

23. It's all cabs,

busses and passenger vans. With so much public trans, why drive?

[mitch96]

28. I remember as a new driver in NYC

You can cut off off by cabs but don't mess with busses... The biggest boat has the right of way.. Speaking of right of way the old junkers always won the stoplight grand prix. They did not care if they got a dent or lost a fender.. Mercedes would always back down...
m

[customerserviceguy]

48. Well, the cabs all have drivers

And the vast majority of those drivers are indeed aggressive. That should count, too.

I question the methodology used to find the numbers in the OP.

[RobinA]

33. Me Too

And I’m from Philadelphia. I95 north of the city scared even me.

[smirkymonkey]

38. So am I! And I definitely expected Boston to be in the top 10.

[Mariana]

39. Well, it used to be that way, for certain.

The younger generations of drivers are much more considerate. My dad used to work in downtown Boston, and he is absolutely amazed at how tame the drivers are now.

[lindysalsagal]

45. Me, too. I guess we're orderly. NY ers generally know how

To cue up, and always abide the "first come" rule. I get annoyed in other places, like Europe, with line jumpers.

We also don't worry about being robbed in NYC. I was robbed twice in Rome. It's a national hobby.

[UniteFightBack]

46. REALLY shocked. nt

[PatSeg]

5. Interesting

We moved from Chicago to Sacramento and we found drivers in Sacramento far less aggressive and more considerate than in Chicago. People seemed more laid back in Sac.

[kysrsoze]

11. We moved from Chicago to L.A., and had the same experience

I’m from Chicago and think the drivers there are assholes. No one wants to let you merge and I’ve been cut off so many times I’ve lost track. There are some aggressive drivers inL.A., but overall, I’ve found the city and the state of California to be much more courteous in general than Illinois.

[PatSeg]

25. I wonder how they determine those figures then

I know what you mean about asshole drivers who won't let you merge and cut you off. We attributed the more courteous drivers in Sac to the year round pleasant weather. People seemed more relaxed.

[The Jeff]

6. My mailman friend in Sacramento can confirm their ranking.

He has a dashcam on his postal vehicle and posts stupid drivers he sees on Facebook.

EtA: Mailman friend is originally from New York City so he knows aggressive drivers.

Oh and a recent visit to Atlanta also confirms their rankings. Too many HERO vehicles on the highways cleaning up messes.

[RobinA]

34. Atlanta

has been the Indy 500 since the first time I drove there 30 years ago.

[customerserviceguy]

49. We get a few here in SC

who act like they're in training for NASCAR. But, most here are polite.

[Hassler]

8. I knew my hometown, Detroit would make the list. Thought it would be higher than 8. The Ford Freeway

Is like a NASCAR race.

[Aristus]

9. Seattle is pretty low on the list, I see. It makes sense.

Drivers here aren't aggressive; they're passive-aggressive.

Some knothead will drive as slow as possible in the fast lane, holding up as many people as he can. Once the car behind him is able to overtake the screening car in the slow lane, shift over, then get ahead of the slow lead driver, then the slow driver starts to drive fast, as if resenting that there is at least one car he can no longer hinder. It's like a freeway pathology here.

[StTimofEdenRoc]

12. That is so true, have you ever passed the "moving road blocker" and slowed down?

I gave up and moved close to work.

[pnwmom]

17. Define "as slow as possible in the fast lane." Do you mean, at the uppermost speed limit?

Just wondering.

[Zorro]

10. Boston is way too far down on the list

[Awsi Dooger]

13. Boston too low and Miami ridiculously too low

Red lights in Miami mean accelerate and go through, even if it's been red 5 seconds. I always have to warn visiting friends that they can't treat newly turned green lights the same way as back home. Traffic is still charging from left and right.

I don't agree with all the California cities at the top of the list

[mitch96]

29. "Red lights in Miami mean accelerate and go through, even if it's been red 5 seconds."

So true.. I have to look both ways 2 or 3 times before moving thru an intersection. Seen too many pickups blast thru red light intersections with the driver looking down at his/her phone.
Stop signs are to be taken as a suggestion and using directional signals are a sign of weakness... It's just amazing driving from Broward County into Miami Dade county once you cross County Line Road the whole mindset of the traffic changes... uff.
I don't see too much problem with Orlando. Every time I drive on I-4 it's either stopped or moving at 4 mph.. I hate that area...
m

[Awsi Dooger]

35. "using directional signals are a sign of weakness"

So true again. Just last night I had to stop at a T while turning left. There was no stop sign for them, and a procession coming from my left. I knew darn well all of them would be turning right. It is a major street. But I had to sit there and wait for a wide gap because none of the right turners were bothering to signal. When I finally threw up my hands at one guy he laughed in delight while turning the corner in front of me.

Also, zig zag driving to squeeze through narrow gaps and save 5 feet is applauded. I get that every day on Bird Road and Miller Road.

When I drive south while returning from a trip I always have to remind myself to be extra careful once I reach Miami or thereabouts. It is incredible how the traffic pattern changes. Instead of straight ahead calm all of a sudden it is slashing angles from all directions. I literally say out loud, "Just get me home."

The I-4 problem area is just east of the city. They drive like nuts there. I am in panic mode just like I-95 near Miami. But as you indicate, I-4 in Orlando itself is such a slowdown it is more a nuisance than dangerous. I attended the Bay Hill golf tournament two weeks ago and the shuttle bus drivers back to the Universal parking lot were joking on speaker about everyone enjoying their upcoming experience on I-4.

My gripe with Orlando is toll roads. I am still not accustomed to that, after living in Las Vegas for 24 years. My sister lives in the Winter Garden area of Orlando. I literally spend more on tolls in 5 days in Orlando than all year in Miami. I get stuck on that 429 toll road seemingly no matter where I am going. Cha-ching.

[mitch96]

41. "My gripe with Orlando is toll roads"

Get a sun pass.. You just slow down at the toll plaza and sail thru.. I wish they had a national toll pass.. Around DC it's a mess. Go, stop, pay toll, repeat...Go, stop, pay toll, repeat...
m

[Awsi Dooger]

43. I have Sun Pass

The balance never changes in Miami. As soon as I get to Orlando it's one $1.40 charge after another on that 429, and suddenly my Sun Pass account is being automatically reloaded more than once on each trip.

BTW, Sun Pass is being linked to E-Z Pass in other states. They have been slow to do that but it is gradually happening now. A few states are newly on board with more to follow. That would be a huge help to me because I normally have at least one annual trip up the eastern seaboard and back.

[mitch96]

47. "As soon as I get to Orlando it's one $1.40 charge after another "

Well shut my mouth..... I did not know Orlando was a high rent district!! I hardly ever go up there so I did not notice the extra charges..
I'm heading up to LonGiland next year and I'm dreading the DC traffic. I wasted more time around there. Damn GPS sent me chasing wild gooses thru the town.. I'm going to plot my route around the city even if its' a bit longer ride... Maybe the Chesapeake bay bridge route?
I have homework to do..
m

[mainer]

42. yeah, right? How can Boston be only #14?

I've lived in San Diego and San Francisco. Never have I encountered such A-hole drivers as in Bosotn.

[soryang]

14. I think Orlando is the worst but this data is a couple of years old.

"Interstate 4 is the deadliest highway in America with 1.25 deaths per mile from 2011 to 2015."

They are referring to the section from Daytona Beach to Orlando. I've driven in 47 states, and think it's worse than Atlanta.

The drivers around Orlando are suicidal.

https://www.fleetowner.com/safety/25-most-deadly-highways-us

[left-of-center2012]

21. "this data is a couple of years old"

No.

The pdf file is dated 2019.

GasBuddy_Cities_Aggressive_Drivers_US_2019_Report.pdf

[soryang]

22. I'm talking about my link nt

[BigmanPigman]

16. This leads me to believe this survey is accurate....

the two cities where I have lived most of my life are in the top 6 (Phila and San Diego). I drive fast and brake hard but I never tailgate, cut anyone off, always use my directionals and always give a "thank you wave" when someone lets me in front of them (Seinfeld car etiquette). I also have good reflexes.

[Bigredhunk]

18. I figured Seattle would be good

I'm from the midworst, and have relatives out there. When I visit I'm surprised at how friendly/laid back it is for a big city.

[BumRushDaShow]

20. LOL

Philly being #2 has been big news here... but really shouldn't be "news".

From what I understand, they are including the "metro" area so we have 5 rim counties around the county/city of Philadelphia and apparently a number of those counties and their towns/townships have been carrying out carrying out car stops for aggressive/distracted driving - https://kywnewsradio.radio.com/articles/news/philadelphia-area-police-make-special-effort-targeting-aggressive-drivers

[NewJeffCT]

24. Having just returned from the LA area

I would generally disagree, though it was startling the first few times that motorcycles roared past my rental basically driving on the dotted line that separates the lanes.

However, I overall found the drivers in the area pretty polite - I noticed in my mirrors that as soon as I flipped on my signal to change lanes that the person behind me in that lane immediately slowed down to let me into their lane. I can't imagine that happening in CT, MA, NY or NJ.

Of course, we had rented what was supposed to be a small SUV, but when we got to the rental car place they were out of small SUVs so they gave us a free upgrade to a tank - a Cadillac Escalade. So, that might have played a part in people being so receptive to me changing lanes. (Of course, years ago, I had a mini-van and it did not have that effect)

[Awsi Dooger]

44. I wouldn't put Los Angeles anywhere near the top

I lived there for years and then visited frequently from Las Vegas. My summary would be identical to yours...drivers generally polite.

But Honolulu is on an entirely different level than anywhere else I have driven. That entire island was smiling while waving me ahead and insisting I go before them, even when I didn't want to.

[dlk]

26. Houston is #1 for Drunk Driving Accidents

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

31. For what it's worth, I've noticed that a lot of people,

no matter where they live, are convinced their city is home to the worst drivers. It's my observation that there are crappy drivers and good drivers everywhere.

I live in Santa Fe, and I have never been in a city where people so regularly run red lights. Anytime I'm elsewhere I'm amazed that people actually stop when the light is yellow, rather than continuing on through long after they've gotten the red.

[maxsolomon]

32. Oooh, now do PASSIVE Aggresive!

1. Seattle, home of the "I will impose a 25 mph limit on you by deliberately driving slowly in a 30 mph zone" technique. "20 is plenty"!