National Road Rage Survey Ranks Denver as 13th Least Courteous City in the U.S.

Norwalk, Conn., June 16, 2009 – The commute to work can be an unpleasant one for people across the country, but the road seems to be even bumpier for Denver drivers.

The fourth annual In the Driver’s Seat Road Rage Survey, commissioned by AutoVantage, a leading national auto club, found that Denver is the 13th least courteous city in terms of road rage, compared to 24 other major U.S. cities. That’s a substantial change from last year’s No. 11 ranking.

Keeping the city on the “least courteous” list, Denver motorists ranked high for several road rage-inducing behaviors: second most likely to wave their fists or arms at another driver in reaction to road rage (tied with Pittsburgh and Philadelphia) and second most likely to eat or drink behind the wheel every day. On a positive note, Denver took the No. 1 spot (tied with Cleveland and Portland) as least likely to see motorists speeding on a daily basis.

For the first time in four years, a new city claims the title as the worst in the U.S. for road rage; New York has unseated Miami as the least courteous. Portland, Ore., ranked as the most courteous city.

The In the Driver’s Seat 2009 AutoVantage Road Rage Survey, released today, was conducted to determine the driving habits and attitudes of commuters across the country and to learn more about consumer views on the topic of road rage.

“At AutoVantage, we’ve made the drive easier every day by completing more than 1 million service calls for our customers, with everything from 24-hour roadside assistance to towing to lockout service and more. This survey is another way we assist drivers by revealing the latest driving trends and attitudes to educate and influence safer—and perhaps more courteous—driving habits,” said Brad Eggleston, vice president of AutoVantage.

Download the entire release (pdf)