Miami Tops Rude Drivers List for Second Year

For the second consecutive year, rude Miami drivers have earned the city the title of worst road rage in a survey released Tuesday.

Miami motorists said they saw other drivers slam on their brakes, run red lights and talk on cell phones, according to AutoVantage, a Connecticut-based automobile membership club offering travel services and roadside assistance.

Other cities near the top of the rude drivers list were New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.

South Miami resident Erik Pinto told The Associated Press that he has probably seen every bad driving habit on Miami’s roads.

“You don’t want to know what I’ve seen,” Pinto said. “I’ve seen everything. I’m from L.A., and we don’t see the crazy drivers that you see here.”

The most courteous drivers can be found in Portland, Ore.; Pittsburgh; the Seattle-Tacoma area; St. Louis; and Dallas-Fort Worth, the survey found.

Portland drivers were the least likely to see other motorists tailgating on the roadways, and St. Louis motorists were the least likely to swear at another driver, according to the survey.

Minneapolis-St. Paul was rated the most courteous city in 2006 but fell to No. 12 this year.

The most frequent cause of road rage cited in the survey was impatient motorists. Drivers also said road rage can stem from poor driving in fast lanes and driving while stressed, frustrated or angry.

“The best piece of advice is to take a deep breath. Slow down, be aware and be careful,” AutoVantage spokesman Todd Smith said, adding the aim of the survey is to increase driver safety across the nation.

More than 2,500 drivers who regularly commute in 25 major metropolitan areas were asked to rate road rage and rude driving in telephone surveys between January and March. The survey was conducted by Prince Market Research has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

Latest Comments

• May 16, 2007 at 3:53 am

  aunti everything says:

  Wow, I thought Chicago was the worst. The law there is first one to get there wins. Make your own lane. I don\'t even want to think about driving in the bottom five in this... read more
• May 16, 2007 at 1:26 am

  Linda says:

  Every time I have to drive in Miami or south Florida for that matter, I say a prayer. The people there are so impatient. They speed, cut you off and will not let you in if y... read more
• May 16, 2007 at 1:22 am

  DFW says:

  Since when did the measure of courtesy become not cursing at other drivers? Who did they talk to in this survey, Agoraphobics in DFW? Ride with me in the mornings and the afte... read more