It’s a topic of longstanding debate around the Washington Beltway: Are drivers worse in Virginia or in Maryland? According to a recent survey by Forbes Advisor, Virginia ranks higher in one measure—drivers in the Old Dominion are apparently more confrontational than their counterparts in Maryland.
The Forbes survey asked 10,000 drivers across all 50 states whether they had experienced nine different “road rage” metrics, such as being cut off in traffic, tailgated, or on the receiving end of offensive gestures. California finished first, as the state with the most confrontational drivers. The nicest behind the wheel? People in Hawaii.
Marylanders shouldn’t gloat, though. While Virginia placed seventh for the most aggressive drivers in the US (tied with Indiana), Maryland was in the 10th spot. According to the survey, Marylanders are third-highest in the percentage of drivers who’ve reported being purposely blocked from merging lanes (39.5%), and fifth-highest in the percentage of drivers who claim that another driver has cut them off on the road (45.5%). Virginians, meanwhile, were second in both the percentage of drivers who say another car has forced them off the road (15.5%) and in drivers who’ve blocked them from merging lanes (40.5%).
Overall, both states ranked in the top five when drivers were asked if they had experienced some kind of road rage in their home state. Interestingly, just a few years ago, this same study found that Maryland drivers were substantially more confrontational than those in Virginia.
As for DC drivers? They escaped scrutiny, since only drivers in the 50 states were surveyed.
