National Road Rage Survey Ranks Minneapolis/St. Paul as 5th Least Courteous Courteous City in 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 Minneapolis/St. Paul drivers.

The fourth annual In the Driver’s Seat Road Rage Survey, commissioned by AutoVantage, a leading national auto club, found that Minneapolis/St. Paul is the fifth least courteous metro area in terms of road rage, compared to 24 other major U.S. cities. That’s a significant change from last year when it ranked as the fourth most courteous metro area.

Contributing to its fall in the ranking, Twin City drivers ranked No. 1 as most likely to report eating or drinking while behind the wheel every day and the second most likely to admit to driving too close to the car in front of them. Additionally, Minneapolis/St. Paul-area motorists were the second most likely to admit to making an obscene gesture at another driver in response to rude or aggressive behavior in the past month.

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)