Over the years, cars have become safer and traffic laws more stringent. Yet, road rage statistics confirm that we remain as vulnerable to road rage-related incidents as before.
Unfortunately, this will probably not change unless we comprehend the nature of the beast — road rage begets road rage.
It goes without saying that aggressive driving behavior is nobody’s friend. That’s because it puts everybody in danger — the aggressor, the victim, and other road users. So the onus is on each of us to do our bit to kill road rage (instead of letting it harm us and others).
So, if you’re interested to find out what the latest data shows, we encourage you to read on.
Most Disturbing Road Rage Facts (Editor’s Pick)
- Almost 50% of road rage cases occur due to distracted driving
- Drivers who get cut off cause 44% of road rage cases
- 1,383 road rage accidents occurred in Texas in 2020
- A survey showed that 30% of women and 32.2% of men had driven through a red light
- 27.31% of Millennials have an at-fault accident or an infraction on their record
- Over 30% of male drivers aged 15–21 involved in fatal accidents in 2019 were speeding
- Between 2013 and 2020, road rage caused over 215 murders
- In 2019, speeding contributed to 26% of total traffic fatalities
Crucial Aggressive Driving Statistics
1. Eight in 10 drivers experience road rage.
(Hoskins&Turbo)
This statistic proves that road rage is more common than many think. In a survey, 80% of drivers reported engaging in some kind of aggressive driving behavior at least once a year.
If that’s not frightening enough, the survey also revealed that 8 million drivers exhibited extreme road rage, like bumping another vehicle from behind or confronting the other driver on foot.
2. Intentional tailgating is the most common kind of aggressive driving behavior.
(Matt Sharp Law)
Road rage reports from a survey involving over 2,000 licensed drivers showed that 51% of respondents admitted engaging in intentional tailgating in the last 12 months.
Other common aggressive driving behaviors are shouting at the other driver (47%), honking to show anger (45%), and blocking another car from changing lanes (24%).
3. Distracted driving accounts for 49% of all cases of road rage.
(Drive Team)
The latest stats on road rage reveal that nearly half of the road rage cases occur because someone behind the wheels lost their focus. Another big cause of road rage is drunk driving. It’s not surprising that when people are drunk, they would also engage in other risky behaviors.
4. 44% of road rage cases are triggered by drivers who get cut off.
(Matt Sharp Law)
Road rage statistics indicate that another common cause of road rage is getting cut off, accounting for over four in ten incidents. So make sure you don’t aggressively drive in front of another car without giving the driver advance notice.
And in case someone cuts you off, well, take a deep breath and try to stay calm for the sake of everyone’s safety.
5. 2% try to force an aggressor’s car off the road.
(Creators)
Worryingly, 2% of the drivers who are at the receiving end of rude behavior don’t stop at honking, tailgating, or illegal maneuvering. In fact, they go a step further and try to drive the other person off the road.
Road Rage Statistics by State
6. Virginia is the state with the rudest drivers (48.5 out of 1,000).
(Insurify)
The state has 64% ruder drivers than the national average. Furthermore, the rate of tailgating is 2.44 times higher than the national average, and there’s also a higher rate of hit and runs than the national average (2.06 times).
7. As per road rage incidents by state, 47.5 out of 1,000 drivers are cited for rude behavior in Idaho.
(Insurify)
Idaho comes right after Virginia in terms of rude drivers. There, the tailgating rates are 4.89 times higher than the national average. Failure to yield violations are also extremely common. Other states with the highest number of rude drivers are Wyoming, New York, and Georgia.
On the other side of the spectrum, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Vermont have the most polite drivers.
8. In 2020, there were 1,383 road rage accidents in Texas.
(Fox26Houston)
By July 2021, the number of such incidents in Texas was 836. In addition, in Houston alone, there were 128 road rage accidents in 2020, as per Houston road rage statistics.
However, by July 2021, the number of these incidents in Houston was higher than in the whole of 2020 — 173. If you find yourself in such an accident, it’s crucial to know what to do afterward. So, take a look at the article that will definitely help you with this.
9. South Carolina has the highest number of deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.
(World Population Review)
South Carolina has a traffic-related death rate of 1.83 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles driven.
In comparison, road rage facts note that Mississippi and Louisiana aren’t that far behind South Carolina. In fact, the former has 1.63 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles driven, and the latter — 1.53.
10. Ohio had the worst drivers in 2021, with 28.18% reporting a prior incident.
(Insurify)
In regards to traffic fatalities per 100,000 people, Ohio accounted for 9.9 deaths that year. On top of that, based on road rage statistics for 2021, people in Ohio got tickets about 25% more frequently than the national average.
The second state in terms of worst drivers in 2021 was Iowa. In fact, approximately 26.74% of the drivers there reported a prior incident.
11. Michigan was the state with the highest share of drivers with a clean record (86.23%) in 2019.
(Property Casualty 360)
Road rage accidents statistics confirm that even though all the states in the top ten safest driver states have a clean driving record of over 82%, some showed better than others.
In 2019, there were over 7.4 million licensed drivers in Michigan, and over 86% of them have a clean record. At the same time, speeding was the most common driving violation.
In comparison, out of the more than 12 million licensed drivers in New York, the share of those with a clean record was 84.5% in 2019.
Road Rage Statistics by Gender
12. According to a survey, 7.4% more men than women had driven 15 mph over the speed limit on a highway.
(Boston Herald)
More specifically, the survey showed that 52% of men had driven 15 mph over the speed limit on a highway, while that was the case for 44.6% of women.
On top of that, road rage statistics from 2020 verify that 29.3% of women and 37.8% of men had followed the vehicle in front closely so that another car couldn’t merge.
13. The same survey showed that 30% of women and 32.2% of men had driven through a red light.
(Boston Herald)
Moreover, more men (31.5%) than women (21.4%) had driven aggressively by switching lanes rapidly and/or very close behind another vehicle. As for rude gestures and honking at other drivers, men were also more likely (35%) to do so than women (28%).
All in all, road rage facts imply that younger female and male drivers are more prone to road rage than older drivers, based on the survey.
14. A survey found that almost twice as many men as women had driven after drinking alcohol.
(ValuePenguin)
More specifically, 56% of men and 29% of women admitted doing so.
However, that shouldn’t come as a shock, given that the US is one of the leading countries worldwide in terms of driving under the influence.
Road Rage Statistics by Race and Age
15. In September 2021, an Asian New Yorker was the victim of a road rage attack.
(Next Shark)
The 28-year-old victim was driving home from work when another driver started showing some signs of road rage and then attacked the Asian man.
It was clear that this was race-related since the attacker started swearing about Chinese people and threatening to kill the victim. The victim was able to call 911, but that’s not how the attack ended.
Fortunately, an NYPD vehicle randomly passed by, and the victim managed to flag the officers. Regrettably, the attacker fled. The Asian man sustained injuries all over his body.
16. 56% of Indian commuters in ten metro cities are prone to road rage incidents because of stressful situations.
(News18)
According to the survey, in such cases, 16% of commuters were more likely to misconduct with traffic police or other drivers and disobey laws. Moreover, two in ten adult urban commuters said traffic was their biggest anger source.
17. Around 27.31% of Millennials have an infraction or at-fault accident on their record, as per road rage statistics.
(Insurify)
According to Insurify’s analysis, Millennials are the worst US drivers. Moreover, they have the highest rates of at-fault accidents and infractions out of all generations. About 13.60% of Millennials have a speeding ticket, and around 2.53% are drivers with a DUI.
18. 15.25% of Boomers have an infraction or at-fault accident on their record, according to statistics on road rage.
(Insurify)
As per the Insurify’s analysis, Boomers are the best US drivers. Namely, 4.6% of them have a speeding ticket, and only 1.01% are drivers with a DUI.
Generally speaking, even though younger generations outperform Boomers in terms of technology, current events, or politics, it’s safe to say that Boomers gain victory regarding safe driving.
19. In 2019, 31% of male drivers aged 15–21 involved in fatal accidents were speeding.
(CDC)
At the same time, according to road rage fatality statistics, that was the case for somewhere around 17% of female drivers. Overall, young drivers’ responsibility to learn more about road safety should be shared by educators, parents, and car manufacturers.
20. Teenage boys are most likely to exhibit signs of road rage.
(Cape Ann Wellness)
Perhaps it’s because of their lack of experience or inability to manage anger, but recent teenage road rage statistics show that males under 19 are most vulnerable to road rage.
That’s why they should be educated that the best way to handle aggressive traffic situations is not reacting to the other driver. Retaliating to them would only worsen the problem.
21. As per a survey, 88% of Millennial drivers confessed to engaging in dangerous behavior like running red lights.
(Shapiro&Sternlieb)
The survey’s road rage statistics showed that other dangerous behaviors included speeding or texting and driving. In detail, 12% of Millennial drivers considered driving 10 mph over the speed limit in school zones acceptable, which was the case for 5% of the general population.
Moreover, 59.3% of Millennial drivers had texted and driven, as opposed to 31.4% of the general population. Half of the Millennial drivers had run red lights, compared to 36% of the general population.
Road Rage Deaths Statistics
22. Between 2013 and 2020, road rage caused around 218 murders.
(Top Driver)
Moreover, road rage was responsible for about 12,610 injuries during that same period. On top of that, around 37% of aggressive driving occurrences in the US include firearms.
As we can see, while many road rage incidents result in shouting and nothing more, that’s not always the case.
23. Stats on road rage fatalities show that two out of three traffic fatalities occur due to aggressive driving.
(ASIRT, Zero Fatalities Iowa)
Every year, about 4.4 million people end up injured so severely due to road rage that they need medical attention. Roughly 38,000 people die in car accidents annually. Of those victims, 66% lose their lives due to dangerous driving, according to recent road rage deaths statistics.
24. Speeding contributed to 26% of total traffic fatalities in 2019.
(NHTSA)
According to NHTSA, speeding killed 9,478 people in 2019. The two most contributing factors to aggressive driving are traffic congestion and running late.
However, as NHTSA points out on its website, faster doesn’t mean safer. By respecting the speed limit, we can keep ourselves and other road users safe.
25. There are 30 road rage murder deaths per year.
(McCoy&Sparks)
So, we have clearly come to the worst-case scenario. That said, road rage, frequently characterized by driving aggressively, may end up with not only yelling but some terrible consequences.
That is no news after learning that almost four in ten aggressive driving incidents in the United States involve firearms.
In Summary
Overall, the purpose behind sharing these disturbing road rage facts and statistics was not to scare you but to make you more aware.
Maintain a safe distance from other vehicles on the road and don’t engage with other drivers. Seek help in case you find it hard to control your anger.
As the data mentioned above shows, safe driving behavior and good anger management and coping skills can help save not only your life but also the lives of others around you.
People Also Ask
Numerous factors may trigger road rage. The leading ones involve being stopped, honked, or incorporated improperly by other drivers. Most often than not, road rage is shown by a driver because of another driver’s reactions.
Eventually, this road rage may lead to an accident. So, the most important thing is how a driver responds to these triggers.
Each year, somewhere around 4.4 million people suffer injuries because of road rage that they need medical attention. In addition, out of the 38,000 car accident fatalities, about two-thirds, or 66%, are caused by road rage.
What’s worth remembering is that aggressive driving crashes, as well as the fatalities they cause, are preventable.
Road rage is highly common among drivers in the United States, and it has increasingly become a great cause of concern for people on the road.
As per data from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, in 2019, almost 80% of US drivers had expressed substantial aggression, anger, or road rage while driving at least once in the previous month.
Everyone’s different, so not all of us react in the same manner when we’re disrespected on the road. Many people show road rage on such occasions, and some of its most common forms involve:
– Speeding
– Yelling
– Tailgating
– Honking
– Purposely cutting off other cars
– Following the perceived wrongdoer
– Blocking traffic or preventing drivers from changing lanes
However, the most common road rage sign is speeding. As per a survey, almost 50% of drivers had driven 15 miles per hour over the speed limit on highways 30 days before the survey.
The worst consequence of road rage can undoubtedly be death. As a matter of fact, nearly 40% of aggressive driving incidents in the United States include firearms.
In addition, road rage statistics find that there are approximately 30 road rage murders annually. Because of road rage, somewhere around 4.4 million people suffer severe injuries and need medical attention.
