Speaking of rude and polite drivers, there’s an Associated Press article that just came out today that rates the cities with the rudest drivers. It’s based on a survey, so who really knows the accuracy of the results, but it’s interesting to know.
From http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/road_rage;_ylt=Amii6ZS95..xponsJ.PS87Lq188F
By SARAH LARIMER, Associated Press Writer
Tue May 15, 9:07 AM ET
MIAMI – For the second straight year, rude Miami drivers have earned the city the title of worst road rage in a survey released Tuesday.
Miami motorists said they saw other drivers slam on their brakes, run red lights and talk on cell phones, according to AutoVantage, a Connecticut-based automobile membership club offering travel services and roadside assistance.
Other cities near the top of the rude drivers list were New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.
South Miami resident Erik Pinto told The Associated Press he’s probably seen every bad driving habit on Miami’s roads.
“You don’t want to know what I’ve seen,” Pinto said. “I’ve seen everything. I’m from L.A., and we don’t see the crazy drivers that you see here.”
Portland, Ore., drivers were the least likely of the cities to see other motorists tailgating on the roadways, and St. Louis motorists were the least likely to swear at another driver, the survey found.
Minneapolis-St. Paul was rated the most courteous city in 2006 but slipped to the middle of the list this year.
The most frequent cause of road rage cited in the survey was impatient motorists. Drivers also cited poor driving in fast lanes and driving while stressed, frustrated or angry.
“The best piece of advice is to take a deep breath. Slow down, be aware and be careful,” AutoVantage spokesman Todd Smith said, adding the aim of the survey is to increase driver safety across the nation.
More than 2,500 drivers who regularly commute in 25 major metropolitan areas were asked to rate road rage and rude driving in telephone surveys between January and March. The survey was conducted by Prince Market Research has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
The list, ranked from those reporting the most incidents of road rage to the fewest:
1. Miami
2. New York
3. Boston
4. Los Angeles
5. Washington, D.C.
6. Phoenix
7. Chicago
8. Sacramento, Calif.
9. Philadelphia
10. San Francisco
11. Houston
12. Atlanta
13. Detroit
14. Minneapolis-St. Paul
15. Baltimore
16. Tampa, Fla.
17. San Diego
18. Cincinnati
19. Cleveland
20. Denver
21. Dallas-Ft. Worth
22. St. Louis
23. Seattle-Tacoma
24. Pittsburgh
25. Portland, Ore.