Where Michigan Ranks: Nation's Most Confrontational Drivers

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Road rage is a common occurrence that many of us have unfortunately witnessed while on the road. It's a situation where the stress and frustrations of everyday life can sometimes spill over into our driving experiences. It's like a real-life episode of a high-stress reality show. Horns blaring, hands waving, and cars darting around like they're in a NASCAR race.

Forbes Advisor, an online platform providing personal finance advice, news, and reviews, reported a surge in violent road rage incidents nationwide. In 2022, 413 people suffered injuries in road rage shootings, an increase since 2018. Some states see more confrontational driving, which affects driver safety differently. Forbes Advisor conducted a survey with 10,000 drivers, comparing all 50 states across nine key metrics. These metrics include instances where drivers reported others forcing them off the road or engaging in verbal or physical confrontations. This data helped to identify states with the most confrontational drivers.

Where Michigan Ranks Among Confrontational Drivers

The study revealed that Michigan ranks 14th among states with the most polite drivers. In Michigan, only 5% of surveyed drivers reported being forced off the road by confrontational drivers. However, 43% of the state's drivers have experienced being yelled at, insulted, or threatened while driving.

The State With The Most Confrontational Drivers

Arizona leads the ranking of states with the highest road rage incidents, while Delaware has the most polite drivers in the country. Among the top 10 states with the highest levels of confrontational driving, five are in the South. This includes West Virginia, Virginia, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Texas. On the other hand, four of the top 10 states with the most polite drivers can be found in the Pacific and Western regions, specifically Idaho, Wyoming, Washington, and New Mexico.

Based on their research findings, drivers reported experiencing road rage most frequently on city streets (29.18%), freeways or highways (26.59%), and in parking lots (14.9%). The study also identified common factors contributing to road rage, with heavy traffic (39.35%), pre-existing stress (38.06%), and running late (33.89%) ranking among the top reasons cited by drivers.

Take a look at the complete study here.

Cars Driving Michigan

Kayla MorganWriter

Kayla is the midday host on Detroit’s 105.1 The Bounce. She started her career in radio back in 2016 as an intern at another Detroit station and worked her way here. She's made stops in Knoxville, TN, Omaha, Ne and other places before returning to Detroit. She’s done almost everything in radio from promotions to web, creating content on social media, you name it. She’s a true Michigander, born and raised. So, you can catch her camping or vacationing up north to exploring the downtown Detroit or maybe even catching a sports game. During her free time, Kayla enjoys watching movies, roller-skating, crafting, and music festivals. She and her husband together dip into many of the great things Michigan has to offer. Together they also like to travel. A few hobbies of hers include wine and beer tastings, crafting, hiking, roller skating, movies, home improvement projects, gardening, and festivals. She’s always looking to take on more local events happening in the community. She loves connecting with the community. When writing, Kayla covers topics including lifestyle, pop culture, trending stories, hacks, and urban culture.