National Road Rage Survey Ranks Washington, D.C., as 6th 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, but the road seems to be smooth for Washington, D.C., drivers.

The fourth annual In the Driver’s Seat Road Rage Survey, commissioned by AutoVantage, a leading national auto club, found that D.C. was named the sixth most courteous city in terms of road rage compared to 24 other major American cities. That’s a major shift in gears from last year’s ranking of fifth least courteous.

Contributing to its improved ranking, drivers in Washington, D.C., (tied with San Francisco) are the second least likely to observe drivers talking on their cell phones every day and the second least likely to see other drivers eating or drinking daily (tied with Baltimore). But things aren’t all quiet on the roadways. Tied with New York, drivers in D.C. are the second most likely to admit honking their horn in reaction to rude or aggressive driving.

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)