Just How Angry Are MD Drivers? New Report Ranks Road Rage

MARYLAND — Whether it's a growing population, economic uncertainty, or the political atmosphere — violent road rage incidents are on the rise.

Between 2014 and 2023, road rage shootings increased by more than 400 percent, from 92 to 481, according to an analysis conducted by The Trace.

In some states, confrontational driving tends to be more common, putting drivers at greater risk when they get behind the wheel. So, which states have the worst road rage?

To find out, Forbes Advisor surveyed 10,000 licensed drivers and compared all 50 states across nine key metrics.

Forbes found that Maryland ranks No. 10 among the states with the worst road rage; in 2023 the state ranked No. 19 for angry drivers.

Maryland’s score: 77.24 out of 100

Maryland has some of the worst road rage in the country, including drivers being purposefully blocked from merging or changing lanes.

• Maryland ranks the third highest for the percentage of drivers who report that another driver has tried to block their car from merging or changing lanes (39.5%).
• The Old Line State also has the fifth-highest percentage of drivers who say that another driver has cut them off on purpose (45.5%).
• The state has the fifth-highest percentage of drivers who experience road rage very frequently from other drivers in their home state (8.5%).

Top Takeaways, Worst States

• California tops the list of states with the worst road rage, while Hawaii is home to the most polite drivers in the nation.
• Four of the top 10 states with the most confrontational drivers are in the South, including Oklahoma, Mississippi, Virginia and Maryland.
• Three of the top 10 states with the most polite drivers are in the Midwest: Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota, and three are in the West: Montana, Wyoming and Hawaii.
• In the past 12 months, 41% of drivers witnessed an act of road rage, 32% experienced road rage from another driver and 22% felt road rage themselves.

According to the drivers Forbes surveyed, truck drivers are most frequently seen exhibiting road rage (33%), followed by drivers of:

• SUVs (23%)
• Sports cars (20%)
• Sedans (19%)
• Minivans (7%)

Find the full report, including the methodology and infographics, here.