Expedia this week released its annual Road Rage Report, detailing the most annoying driving habits, the states with the rudest drivers and other road pet peeves.
The annual survey is a yearly analysis of driving etiquette, Expedia says.
“Memorial Day is the unofficial start to summer, and a moment when millions of drivers will take to the road,” said John Morrey, vice president and general manager, Expedia.com. “Now that drivers can book rental cars through Expedia’s updated mobile app, we’ve set out with the Road Rage study to examine what sorts of behavior make travel more pleasurable, and what sorts of behavior should be avoided. The study demonstrates that travelers, whether they’re on the road or in the air, expect – and reward – courtesy and respect from their fellow travelers.”
The study was conducted by GfK, an independent market research company. 1,000 Americans were asked to participate in the study and rank rude driving habits.
For the second year in a row, survey respondents said “The Texter” (26%) was the most annoying person on the road, followed by “The Tailgater,” (13%) while “The Left Lane Hog” (12%) came in a close third, tailed by “The Crawler” (10%).
Respondents also graded their passengers or co-driver’s bad habits. 52% of Americans said back-seat driving is the most annoying habit of passengers, followed by “Reluctant Co-Pilot” and “Radio Hog.”
When asked which cities had the rudest drivers, 42% of the survey respondents ranked New York City as the city with the rudest drivers. Thirty-two percent said LA has the rudest drivers. Also on the list of rudest drivers was Chicago and Washington, DC.
Survey Respondents Are Hypocrites
While distracted while driving came out as the most annoying driving habit, survey respondents admitted to using apps while driving. 83% of respondents admitted to using a map app while in the car, 46% admitted to using a traffic app, 38% said they’ve used music app and weather apps while diving, and 35% have used an app to find a restaurant.
“Fifty-one percent of Americans report that they loathe sharing the road with bad drivers, more than cyclists, buses, taxis, joggers and walkers combined. Nearly all Americans (97%) rate themselves as “careful” drivers, but feel that only 29% of fellow drivers merit the description,” Expedia’s Road Rage Report states.
Sixty-one percent of the survey respondents admitted to speeding, 29% admitted to following too closely and 24% admitted to “regularly or occasionally” talking on the phone while driving.
From Expedia’s Road Rage Report- The complete list of Road Rage etiquette violators follows:
- The Texter (26%)
- The Tailgater (13%)
- The Left-Lane Hog (12%)
- The Crawler (10%)
- The Multitasker (7%)
- The Drifter (7%)
- The Inconsiderate (6%)
- The Swerver (5%)
- The Speeder (4%)
- The Unappreciative (3%)
- The Honker (2%)
- The Red Light Racer (1%)
About the Survey
The study was conducted online using the GfK “KnowledgePanel,” an online probability-based panel designed to be representative of the US general population, not just the online population. The study consisted of approximately 1,065 interviews conducted between April 3 – 5, 2015 among adults aged 18+ with a valid US driver’s license. The margin of error is +/-3 percentage points.
About Expedia.com
Expedia.com is one of the world’s largest full service travel sites*, helping millions of travelers per month easily plan and book travel. Expedia.com (http://www.expedia.com/, 1-800-EXPEDIA) aims to provide the latest technology and the widest selection of top vacation destinations, cheap tickets, hotel deals, car rentals, destination weddings, cruise deals and in-destination activities, attractions, services and travel apps. With the Expedia Best Price Guarantee, Expedia.com customers can get the best rates available online for all types of travel.
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