National Road Rage Survey Ranks Phoenix 6th 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, 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 Phoenix is the sixth least courteous city in terms of road rage, compared to 24 other major U.S. cities. That’s a slight change from last year’s No. 8 ranking.

Keeping it on the “least courteous” list, Phoenix drivers tied with their counterparts in Cincinnati as most likely to report sending text messages and e-mails and/or using their BlackBerrys while driving every day. Additionally, along with New York City and Philadelphia motorists, Phoenix respondents ranked No. 1 as most likely to multi-task behind the wheel daily (applying makeup, shaving or reading).

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)