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Test your knowledge: How much do you know about road rage?

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By Susan Meyer Info icon
Updated March 28, 2024
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Susan Meyer

Senior Editorial Manager

Credentials
  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty

Susan is a licensed insurance agent and has worked as a writer and editor for over 10 years across a number of industries. She has worked at The Zebr…

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Ross Martin

Insurance Writer

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  • 4+ years in the Insurance Industry

Ross joined The Zebra as a writer and researcher in 2019. He specializes in writing insurance content to help shoppers make informed decisions.

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Dealing with anger on the road

Have you ever been driving down the road and seen another driver get really mad? Maybe they were loudly yelling at another car or sending them a certain hand gesture. If you've ever driven on roads with other people...the answer is almost certainly: yes. Perhaps you’ve even been that driver. (We’ve all been there). 

Road rage and aggressive driving aren’t just behaviors we read about in news stories. They are happening every day. The Zebra wanted to find out more about what causes road rage and how it affects drivers. Our new road rage report examines what frustrates drivers, the aggressive driving behaviors motorists are observing and what they’re doing themselves — and the results were pretty eye-opening. Want to see how much you know about other drivers on the road? Take our quiz below.

Question 1: Where did drivers in 2021 experience the most frustration while on the road?

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A. Neighborhood streets

B. Traffic Lights

C. Highways/Freeways

D. Intersections

 

 

 

Answer: C. Highways/Freeways

More than half of drivers (56%) told us that the highway/freeway is where they are most likely to experience frustration while driving. Why do drivers get so frustrated on highways? It could be bumper-to-bumper traffic during rush hour; they could be irritated with slow drivers in the left lane, or maybe they were cut off. There are plenty of reasons for road rage (more on that later!). What we do know for sure is that drivers were overall more frustrated on the road since the pandemic started despite driving much less than they did in 2019.

Question 2: What’s the number one way drivers deal with frustration on the road?

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A. Yelling/cursing at other drivers

B. Listening to music 

C. Driving a different route 

D. Just waiting until the feeling goes away

 

 

Answer: B. Listening to music

Ever gotten so mad on the road that you needed to crank up that Spotify playlist and just belt it out? You’re not alone. 60% of drivers deal with frustration on the road by listening to music. However, if you’ve ever yelled at another driver or said some choice words about them, you’re also not alone. 23% of drivers said they’ve dealt with road rage by yelling or cursing.

Question 3: Which driving behavior makes other drivers the angriest?

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A. Distracted driving

B. Not using turn signals 

C. Getting blocked from merging 

D. Getting cut off

 

Answer: A. Distracted driving.

About 63% of drivers told us that seeing distracted driving makes them the angriest. What do we mean by distracted driving? The most common example is talking or texting on a phone, but distracted driving can also include eating, drinking, messing with the radio, putting on makeup, entering info into your navigation system and anything else that takes your eyes off the road.

Question 4: What was the most common aggressive driving or road rage behavior that drivers themselves admitted to doing this past year?

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A. Tailgating

B. Speeding in heavy traffic 

C. Yelling or cursing at another driver or pedestrian 

D. Honking their horn

Answer: D. Honking their horn

About 64% of drivers actually admitted to doing an aggressive driving or road rage behavior this past year. The most common admitted behavior was honking to show anger or frustration, with 37% of drivers saying they do it. The second most common self-reported behavior was yelling or cursing at another driver or pedestrian, with 24% of driving saying they’ve done it.

Question 5: What’s the most common weapon or safety device drivers keep in their vehicles?

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A. Gun

B. Knife

C. Pepper Spray

D. Taser

Answer: C. Pepper Spray.

27% percent of drivers told us they carry a weapon or safety device in their car (we know that’s not a comforting statistic…). The most common safety device is pepper spray, with 12% of drivers saying they carry it. Guns and knives are tied for second place, with 8% of drivers saying they carry one of the weapons. The state with the most drivers reporting they keep a weapon in their car? Florida. 35% of drivers in the Sunshine State admitted to keeping something in their cars for personal protection.

How'd you do?

Did you ace our quiz? How do your thoughts about road rage compare to the drivers we surveyed? To learn more about the sentiments surrounding road rage in 2021 and what drivers are doing on the road, check out our latest Road Rage Report.

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