Back in April, INRIX.com listed Denver as the 21st most congested city in the U.S. But how do drivers here -- and elsewhere -- deal with the resulting traffic? Auto Advantage searched for this answer and more, emerging with a list of the most and least courteous drivers by city.
On which side of that continuum did Denver place? Find out in our countdown of the ten least courteous cities for drivers below, featuring photos and a sampling of Auto Advantage text and data. To see the complete report, click here.
See also: Photos: 25 most congested North American cities -- and where Denver falls
Number 10 -- New York:
The 2014 In the Driver's Seat Road Rage Survey identified New York as having the 10th least courteous drivers across America's largest cities. This represents an improvement of 9 spots when compared to the same survey performed in 2009, when New York was ranked as least courteous.
Rankings were determined by measuring a wide array of driving actions that inhabitants admit to performing and acknowledge seeing, along with observations of their reactions to other drivers.
When compared to drivers in other cities, survey participants generally fell in the middle of the pack when it comes to aggressive or distracted driving habits. However, that doesn't mean New Yorkers have found their inner peace. Drivers in New York are:
• 2nd most likely to have purposely run into another car • 3rd most likely to acknowledge making an obscene gesture at another driver • 2nd most likely to have waved their arms or shaken their fist at other drivers • 2nd most likely to have honked their horn at another driver
Number 9 -- Chicago:
The 2014 In the Driver's Seat Road Rage Survey identified Chicago as having the ninth least courteous drivers across America's largest cities. This represents an "increase" of 3 spots when compared to the same survey performed in 2009.
Rankings were determined by measuring a wide array of driving actions that inhabitants admit to performing and acknowledge seeing, along with observations of their reactions to other drivers.
When compared to drivers in other cities, survey participants generally fell in the middle of the pack when it comes to aggressive or distracted driving habits. However, that doesn't mean folks driving around The Bean have found their inner peace. Drivers in Chicago are:
• Most likely to acknowledge cursing at another driver • Most likely to have waved their arms or shaken their fist at other drivers • 3rd most likely to have honked their horn at another driver
Continue to keep counting down the ten cities with the least courteous drivers -- and find out whether Denver drivers are polite or not. Number 8 -- Orlando:
The 2014 In the Driver's Seat Road Rage Survey identified Orlando as having the eighth least courteous drivers across America's largest cities. Orlando is new to the survey, which was last performed in 2009.
Rankings were determined by measuring a wide array of driving actions that inhabitants admit to performing and acknowledge seeing, along with observations of their reactions to other drivers.
When compared to drivers in other cities, survey participants in Orlando are:
• 3rd Most likely to acknowledge talking on their phone while driving • Tied for 2nd Most likely to acknowledge cutting over into another lane without notice (tied with Atlanta and Seattle) • 4th most likely to see other drivers slam on their brakes
Number 7 -- Miami:
The 2014 In the Driver's Seat Road Rage Survey identified Miami as having the seventh least courteous drivers across America's largest cities. This ranking represents consistency from the same survey in 2009 when Miami was also seventh.
Rankings were determined by measuring a wide array of driving actions that inhabitants admit to performing and acknowledge seeing, along with observations of their reactions to other drivers.
When compared to drivers in other cities, survey participants in Miami are:
• Most likely to acknowledge honking the horn at another driver • Most likely to have observed someone else running a red light • 2nd most likely to have seen someone else slam on the brakes
Continue to keep counting down the ten cities with the least courteous drivers -- and find out whether Denver drivers are polite or not. Number 6 -- Phoenix:
The 2014 In the Driver's Seat Road Rage Survey identified Phoenix as having the sixth least courteous drivers across America's largest cities. This ranking represents consistency from the same survey in 2009 when Phoenix was also sixth.
Rankings were determined by measuring a wide array of driving actions that inhabitants admit to performing and acknowledge seeing, along with observations of their reactions to other drivers.
When compared to drivers in other cities, survey participants in Phoenix are:
• Most likely to acknowledge speeding themselves • Most likely to have slammed on their brakes without warning • Tied for 3rd most likely to have seen someone else tailgating (with Tampa and Washington DC) as most 3rd likely to see to see someone else tailgating
Number 5 -- Boston:
The 2014 In the Driver's Seat Road Rage Survey identified Boston as having the fifth least courteous drivers across America's largest cities. This represents a dramatic "increase" of 12 spots from the same survey in 2009.
Rankings were determined by measuring a wide array of driving actions that inhabitants admit to performing and acknowledge seeing, along with observations of their reactions to other drivers.
When compared to drivers in other cities, survey participants in Beantown are:
• 2nd most likely to curse at another driver • 3rd most likely to have acknowledged tailgating another driver • 4th most likely to have seen another driver run a red light • 4th most likely to have seen another driver talking on their cell phone
Continue to keep counting down the ten cities with the least courteous drivers -- and find out whether Denver drivers are polite or not. Number 4 -- Washington, D.C.:
The 2014 In the Driver's Seat Road Rage Survey identified Washington as having the fourth least courteous drivers across America's largest cities. This represents a dramatic "increase" of 16 spots from the same survey in 2009.
Rankings were determined by measuring a wide array of driving actions that inhabitants admit to performing and acknowledge seeing, along with observations of their reactions to other drivers.
When compared to drivers in other cities, survey participants in The District are:
• 2nd most likely both to see someone else cutting between lanes with no warning and 2nd most likely to acknowledge performing the same behavior • 2nd most likely to admit speeding • Tied (with Phoenix and Tampa) as most 3rd likely to see to see someone else tailgating
Number 3 -- Baltimore:
The 2014 In the Driver's Seat Road Rage Survey identified Baltimore as having the third least courteous drivers across America's largest cities. This represents a dramatic "increase" of 20 spots from the same survey in 2009.
Rankings were determined by measuring a wide array of driving actions that inhabitants admit to performing and acknowledge seeing, along with observations of their reactions to other drivers.
When compared to drivers in other cities, survey participants in Baltimore are:
• Most likely to make an obscene gesture at another driver • 2nd most likely both to see someone else tailgating and 2nd most likely to acknowledge tailgating someone • 2nd most likely to admit eating or drinking while driving • Tied (with Orlando) as most likely to acknowledge doing something else like putting on makeup or reading while driving
Continue to keep counting down the ten cities with the least courteous drivers -- and find out whether Denver drivers are polite or not. Number 2 -- Atlanta:
The 2014 In the Driver's Seat Road Rage Survey identified Atlanta as having the second least courteous drivers across America's largest cities. This represents an "increase" of two spots from the same survey in 2009.
Rankings were determined by measuring a wide array of driving actions that inhabitants admit to performing and acknowledge seeing, along with observations of their reactions to other drivers.
When compared to drivers in other cities, survey participants in Atlanta are:
• Most likely to admit purposely bumping another driver in reaction to perceived poor driving • Most likely to see another driver speeding • Most Likely to acknowledge tailgating someone else • 2nd most likely to see other drivers eating or drinking while behind the wheel
Number 1 -- Houston:
The 2014 In the Driver's Seat Road Rage Survey identified Houston as having the least courteous drivers across America's largest cities. This represents an "increase" of seven spots from the same survey in 2009.
Rankings were determined by measuring a wide array of driving actions that inhabitants admit to performing and acknowledge seeing, along with observations of their reactions to other drivers.
When compared to drivers in other cities, survey participants in Houston are:
• Most likely to see another driver cutting them off and most likely to admit performing this behavior • Most Likely to see someone else someone else slam on their brakes • Most likely to admit talking on their phones while driving
And Denver?
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Ninth most-courteous city -- Denver:
The 2014 In the Driver's Seat Road Rage Survey identified Denver as having the ninth most courteous drivers across America's largest cities. The results show a more courteous driver in the Mile High City, which improved from being ranked 13th in the 2009 iteration of the same survey.
Rankings were determined by measuring a wide array of driving actions that inhabitants admit to performing and acknowledge seeing, along with observations of their reactions to other drivers.
When compared to drivers in other cities, survey participants in Denver are:
• 3rd least likely to observe other drivers speeding • 4th least likely to see other drivers texting
Keeping Denver out of a higher ranking was a proclivity of local drivers to acknowledge seeing other drivers eating or drinking while behind the wheel, an action for which drivers in Denver were among the five most likely cities.
Send your story tips to the author, Michael Roberts.
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