WASHINGTON — For people who drive in the region, it may not come as a surprise that D.C. and Baltimore drivers are some of the least courteous. The two cities ranked near the top of a list of places where road rage is prevalent, according to AutoVantage, a car and roadside assistance service.
Baltimore ranked No. 3 on a list of places with least courteous drivers and D.C. ranked No. 4. AutoVantage conducted the survey and found the country’s least and most courteous cities behind the wheel.
Since 2009, Baltimore declined 20 spots to make it into the top five spots, while D.C. declined 16 spots.
The Charm City may not be quite so charming. The survey found Baltimore drivers are more likely to make obscene gestures at other drivers.
The survey found when compared to drivers in other cities, Baltimore drivers are:
- Second most likely both to see someone else tailgating and second most likely to acknowledge tailgating someone.
- Second most likely to admit eating or drinking while driving.
- Tied with Orlando as most likely to acknowledge doing something else, such as putting on makeup or reading while driving.
D.C. drivers ranked as the second most likely to see someone else cut between lanes with no warning — but then follow suit, according to the survey.
The survey found the following about D.C. drivers:
- Second most likely to admit speeding.
- Tied with Phoenix and Tampa as most third likely to see to see someone else tailgating.
While Baltimore and D.C. may seem treacherous, road rage may be felt more in Houston, which ranked No. 1 for least courteous drivers. Houston moved from the eighth place ranking on the least courteous list in 2009.
AutoVantage’s 2014 In the Driver’s Seat Road Rage Survey measured behavior, observation and attitudes related to “road rage” as reported in America’s biggest cities. The information provided an update to previous research completed in 2009.
Rankings were determined by measuring a wide array of driving actions that people admit to performing and acknowledge seeing, along with observations of their reactions to other drivers.
Below is a list of the top five least courteous cities on the road:
- Houston
- Atlanta
- Baltimore
- D.C.
- Boston
When it came to the cities with the most courteous drivers, Portland ranked at the top — its second time in five years.
Below is a list of the top five most courteous cities on the road:
- Portland, Oregon
- Pittsburgh
- St. Louis
- San Francisco
- Charlotte, North Carolina
Other cities surveyed in 2014 include Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, Seattle and Tampa Bay.
To gather the data, Prince Market Research — an independent research company — surveyed 2,500 consumers age 21 and above who personally drove during rush hour (Monday through Friday) no fewer than three days per week.
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