Thousands of car crashes happen in the United States every day, adding up to over six million in 2023 alone. Unfortunately, tens of thousands of these crashes are fatal. While some factors of crashes, such as extreme weather or poor road design, are out of the control of drivers, other causes are often avoidable. One of those preventable factors? Road rage.
Whether it’s getting cut off in traffic or someone taking the last parking spot, many drivers are familiar with intense anger while driving. Even cautious drivers who take care in choosing car insurance coverage or auto warranty protection can experience road rage. And though road rage isn’t limited to a particular region, drivers in some states seem to be more prone to the phenomenon.
The Consumer Affairs Research Team identified the states with the worst road rage by analyzing data on fatal crashes involving careless or reckless driving, violations for dangerous driving and traffic incidents involving gun violence. Read on to see where your state ranks.
The 10 states with the most road rage
Americans are concerned about road rage, with 63% saying that aggressive driving is a major problem in their local community, according to Pew Research Center. While some states have more road rage incidents than others, it’s important to remember that this driving behavior isn’t isolated to a particular region — it can affect anyone on the road.
1. Louisiana
100 out of 100 points
For the second year in a row, Louisiana has the most road rage. Nearly 60% of the state’s fatal crashes and traffic deaths were linked to aggressive or careless driving, the highest rates in the nation. Louisiana also has the highest overall rates of fatal crashes and deaths involving aggressive or careless driving per 100,000 people. Additionally, it has the second-highest rate of traffic violations for aggressive or careless driving or speeding.
Though it may be relatively common, reckless driving in Louisiana comes with serious consequences: first-time offenders can spend up to 90 days in jail, while second-time offenders can spend up to six months.
Here are the key stats:
- Traffic incidents involving gun violence: 0.48 per 100,000 people
- Traffic violations issued for aggressive/careless driving or speeding: 1 per 100,000 people
- Fatal accidents involving aggressive or careless driving: 9.31 per 100,000 people
- Accounted for 57% of all fatal crashes in the state in 2023
- Number of fatalities involving aggressive or careless driving: 10.17 per 100,000 people
- Accounted for 58% of all traffic fatalities in the state in 2023
2. New Mexico
89.27 out of 100 points
New Mexico has retained its second spot on our list, not least because of its comparatively high rate of traffic incidents involving gun violence, which is almost four times the national rate. Unfortunately, this trend also aligns with the state’s general gun violence rates: Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun violence prevention group, notes that New Mexico’s gun violence rate is almost double the national average. New Mexico also ranked as the least safe state in the U.S. in our recent study.
Check out the most important metrics:
- Traffic incidents involving gun violence: 1.56 per 100,000 people
- Traffic violations issued for aggressive/careless driving or speeding: 0.8 per 100,000 people
- Fatal accidents involving aggressive or careless driving: 7.23 per 100,000 people
- Accounted for 38.1% of all fatal crashes in the state in 2023
- Number of fatalities involving aggressive or careless driving: 7.94 per 100,000 people
- Accounted for 38.4% of all traffic fatalities in the state in 2023
3. Colorado
83.19 out of 100 points
While Colorado may not have the most traffic fatalities or fatal crashes, it has the highest number of violations for aggressive or careless driving or speeding per 100,000 people, at over eight times the national average. That helps explain how Colorado climbed one spot in our ranking, moving up from fourth place last year.
Officials seem to be cracking down on the issue. Recent city- and statewide laws have expanded automatic speeding enforcement through cameras and consequences for cellphone use while driving.
Notable data points include:
- Traffic incidents involving gun violence: 0.72 per 100,000 people
- Traffic violations issued for aggressive/careless driving or speeding: 1.81 per 100,000 people
- Fatal accidents involving aggressive or careless driving: 4.99 per 100,000 people
- Accounted for 43.5% of all fatal crashes in the state in 2023
- Number of fatalities involving aggressive or careless driving: 5.37 per 100,000 people
- Accounted for 43.3% of all traffic fatalities in the state in 2023
4. Arkansas
82.30 out of 100 points
Like Louisiana, Arkansas also has a high percentage of fatal crashes and fatalities involving aggressive or careless driving, at 50.4% and 51.2%, respectively. However, the state has a low rate of traffic incidents involving gun violence, at less than half of the national average, despite Everytown ranking it as one of the states with the weakest gun laws.
Other noteworthy findings:
- Traffic incidents involving gun violence: 0.20 per 100,000 people
- Traffic violations issued for aggressive/careless driving or speeding: 0.26 per 100,000 people
- Fatal accidents involving aggressive or careless driving: 9 per 100,000 people
- Accounted for 50.4% of all fatal crashes in the state in 2023
- Number of fatalities involving aggressive or careless driving: 10.06 per 100,000 people
- Accounted for 51.2% of all traffic fatalities in the state in 2023
5. Montana
59.29 out of 100 points
Montana is the only state among the top five to improve its road rage ranking, falling from last year’s No. 3 spot. In 2022, it had 11.67 fatal crashes per 100,000 people — a rate that dropped to 6.33 in 2023. Perhaps this is attributable to the “Move Over Montana” speeding law that went into effect in October 2023, which laid out a maximum fine of $10,000 and a maximum penalty of one year imprisonment for drivers who don’t slow down and change lanes when approaching a stationary vehicle. Still, Montana still ranks as having the worst drivers in America, according to our latest report.
Here are the key stats:
- Traffic incidents involving gun violence: 0.18 per 100,000 people
- Traffic violations issued for aggressive/careless driving or speeding: 0.36 per 100,000 people
- Fatal accidents involving aggressive or careless driving: 6.33 per 100,000 people
- Accounted for 35.7% of all fatal crashes in the state in 2023
- Number of fatalities involving aggressive or careless driving: 6.61 per 100,000 people
- Accounted for 35.1% of all traffic fatalities in the state in 2023
6. New Jersey
55.43 out of 100 points
Though New Jersey remains in the same spot as last year, its percentage of traffic fatalities involving aggressive or careless driving dropped from a nationwide high of 72.8% to a much lower 44.9%.
While it has the third-highest rate of traffic violations for aggressive or careless driving or speeding, there may be violations going unreported: A recent report by the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller noted that “law enforcement officers’ exercise of discretion in motor vehicle stops is often influenced by improper factors, such as courtesy cards given to or purchased by motorists.”
Check out these findings:
- Traffic incidents involving gun violence: 0.06 per 100,000 people
- Traffic violations issued for aggressive/careless driving or speeding: 0.85 per 100,000 people
- Fatal accidents involving aggressive or careless driving: 2.85 per 100,000 people
- Accounted for 46.1% of all fatal crashes in the state in 2023
- Number of fatalities involving aggressive or careless driving: 2.94 per 100,000 people
- Accounted for 44.9% of all traffic fatalities in the state in 2023
7. North Carolina
52.67 out of 100 points
North Carolina also keeps the same rank as last year despite a dramatic drop in traffic violations for aggressive or careless driving or speeding. Perhaps drivers learned more about the consequences of racking up speeding violations, as North Carolina is one of the strictest states in the South when it comes to speeding and license suspensions.
Note these metrics:
- Traffic incidents involving gun violence: 0.48 per 100,000 people
- Traffic violations issued for aggressive/careless driving or speeding: 0.37 per 100,000 people
- Fatal accidents involving aggressive or careless driving: 4.31 per 100,000 people
- Accounted for 31.5% of all fatal crashes in the state in 2023
- Number of fatalities involving aggressive or careless driving: 4.78 per 100,000 people
- Accounted for 32.4% of all traffic fatalities in the state in 2023
8. Hawaii
51.18 out of 100 points
Hawaii ranked in the bottom half of our list last year, but it rose to No. 8 this year in large part due to increases in the percentages of fatal accidents and fatalities involving aggressive or careless driving, which both rose over 10 percentage points. That’s not necessarily surprising, given that its poor road quality could drive anyone to anger.
Here’s what the data says:
- Traffic incidents involving gun violence: 0.14 per 100,000 people
- Traffic violations issued for aggressive/careless driving or speeding: 0 per 100,000 people
- Fatal accidents involving aggressive or careless driving: 3.04 per 100,000 people
- Accounted for 50% of all fatal crashes in the state in 2023
- Number of fatalities involving aggressive or careless driving: 3.25 per 100,000 people
- Accounted for 50.5% of all traffic fatalities in the state in 2023
9. Nevada
45.55 out of 100 points
Nevada is also new to our top 10 states with the worst road rage this year after being ranked No. 12 last year. The state ranked higher in rates of both deaths and fatal crashes involving aggressive or careless driving in 2023 than it did in 2022.
By contrast, the rate of violations related to aggressive or careless driving or speeding dramatically decreased from the highest figure in 2022.
Other notable stats:
- Traffic incidents involving gun violence: 0.51 per 100,000 people
- Traffic violations issued for aggressive/careless driving or speeding: 0.32 per 100,000 people
- Fatal accidents involving aggressive or careless driving: 3.06 per 100,000 people
- Accounted for 27.4% of all fatal crashes in the state in 2023
- Number of fatalities involving aggressive or careless driving: 3.79 per 100,000 people
- Accounted for 30.6% of all traffic fatalities in the state in 2023
10. Florida
42.78 out of 100 points
Florida rounds out our list, up one spot from last year, partly due to a worse ranking in traffic-related gun violence. It will be interesting to see if Florida stays in our top 10 next year, as the state implemented a stricter version of its “Move Over” law at the beginning of 2024 that requires drivers to move over a lane or drastically slow down when passing a disabled vehicle on the side of the road.
Important metrics include:
- Traffic incidents involving gun violence: 0.41 per 100,000 people
- Traffic violations issued for aggressive/careless driving or speeding: 0.44 per 100,000 people
- Fatal accidents involving aggressive or careless driving: 3.44 per 100,000 people
- Accounted for 23.7% of all fatal crashes in the state in 2023
- Number of fatalities involving aggressive or careless driving: 3.75 per 100,000 people
- Accounted for 24.2% of all traffic fatalities in the state in 2023