National Road Rage Survey Ranks Pittsburgh 5th Most 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, and the road seems to be a little bumpier for Pittsburgh drivers.

The fourth annual In the Driver’s Seat Road Rage Survey, commissioned by AutoVantage, a leading national auto club, found that Pittsburgh is the fifth most courteous city in the country in terms of road rage, compared to 24 other major American cities. That’s a fall in the rankings from last year’s No. 1 spot.

Contributing to its slip in the rankings, Pittsburgh drivers ranked No. 1 for honking their horn in reaction to rude/aggressive driving (50 percent in the last month). However, paying attention behind the wheel kept the city in the “most courteous” top five. For the second consecutive year, Pittsburgh motorists ranked No. 1 as least likely to observe other drivers eating/drinking or multi-tasking (like putting on makeup, shaving or reading) while driving every day.

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)