Does Utah have the most confrontational drivers in the nation?
Sep 17, 2022, 4:27 PM | Updated: Nov 18, 2022, 10:31 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah may not be a great place to be when it comes to confrontations on the roadway.
A study published this week by Forbes Advisor singled out the Beehive State as having the most confrontational drivers for a few different reasons. Outlined in the report:
- 76% of Utah drivers surveyed reported that another honked at them on the roadway.
- 73% reported someone has tailgated them.
- 58% reported having a rude or offensive gesture thrown their way while driving.
- 47% reported having someone else exceed the speed limit to block them in for changing lanes.
- 27% reported knowing of someone in their state injured because of a road rage incident.
- The results are based on an online survey of 5,000 U.S. car owners last month, including at least 100 in every state, conducted by Forbes Advisor and the market research company OnePoll.
- The companies say it has a margin of error of plus-minus 2.2 and a confidence interval of 95%.
It calculated a score based on all sorts of aggressive driving behavior. Extreme instances, like someone bumping, ramming into or damaging their car on purpose, rated higher than someone cutting someone off, which also rated higher than tailgating.
About 85% of those surveyed nationwide reported that they experienced at least one form of road rage, small or large. Honking, tailgating, rude gestures and being cut off were the most frequent types.
Perhaps there is something about the Four Corners region that results in more confrontation because Utah’s eastern neighbor Colorado landed third on the list, while New Mexico ranked fifth among drivers surveyed. Missouri and Oklahoma were the other states in the bottom five. The study named North Dakota, aptly known as the Peace Garden State, as having the least confrontational drivers.
But the study did more than just identify states with the most confrontational drivers. It also asked all of the surveyed drivers if they had been confrontational and why they participated in any sort of road rage. Nearly a quarter of respondents blamed their behavior on stress, slightly edging out heavy traffic. Almost one-fifth of drivers said it was because they were running late, while nearly one-tenth said it was because others were driving incompetently.
Being confrontational, Forbes contends, can be quite costly for drivers. The survey’s authors wrote that insurance rates rise 45% after crashes involving property damage or 47% in crashes that result in injuries.
