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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.
Related:
Road rage can hit even the best drivers. Here's how to keep your cool while driving
Drivers swerve erratically while on their phones or dart dangerously around other cars. The blare of horns keeps you on edge as traffic backs up. It's enough to test anyone's patience.It can be even costlier than that, too. Many of the listed characteristics included in the survey fall under aggressive driving behaviors, as listed by the Utah Department of Public Safety and Utah Department of Transportation's Zero Fatalities program.
Last year, the agencies reported 27 fatalities on Utah roads tied to aggressive driving, the most in one year over the past decade. It followed 25 in 2020, which was the second-most in that span. This year's rate declined a bit; the agencies report there have been 15 so far as of Thursday.
So, what should you do when another driver is in a confrontational manner? Zero Fatalities recommends just backing off and letting the rude driver on their way.
"Remember, it's not a competition and it's not your job to teach them a lesson," the website says, adding that drivers can simply ignore honking or rude gestures. "Don't respond and don't make eye contact. It will only escalate the hostile feelings. If you can do so safely, contact police with the vehicle description, license number, (and) the location and direction of travel."
Other suggestions include planning ahead, which can help you avoid some heavy traffic scenarios or situations where drivers are running late, and if you don't have to, don't drive when you are feeling angry, upset or fatigued.
