National Road Rage Survey Ranks Miami as 7th 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 improving for Miami drivers.

For the first time in four years, Miami has been unseated as the least courteous city in the country in terms of road rage, when compared to 24 other major U.S. cities. That’s according to the fourth annual In the Driver’s Seat Road Rage Survey, commissioned by AutoVantage, a leading national auto club, which ranks Miami as seventh least courteous this year. New York now lays claim to the No. 1 distinction, indicating a clear overall improvement in the behavior and attitudes of Miami motorists. Portland, Ore., ranked as the most courteous city.

Contributing to its improvement in the ranking, Miami drivers are the second least likely to admit driving too close to the car in front of them on a daily basis. But keeping the city on the “least courteous” list, Miami drivers ranked No. 1 as most likely to report seeing fellow drivers cutting into other lanes with little or no warning (54 percent) and most likely to see other drivers multi-tasking, doing things such as applying makeup, shaving, reading while driving (30 percent). In addition, Miami motorists are most likely to curse at another driver in reaction to road rage.

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)