These are the Cities with the Rudest Drivers in Every State

In each state, there’s always that one particular city whose drivers are notorious for their rude behavior.

Driving in the city is no easy feat. From dodging cyclists and pedestrians to sitting through never-ending congestion, urban driving presents unique challenges that can make even the most seasoned drivers nervous. Not only are these stressors commonplace in urban environments, but they can lead to impatient or irate drivers who lose their restraint and engage in rude behavior on the roads, ranging from cutting off another driver or pedestrian to a hit-and-run. No matter the infraction, one thing is for certain: this rude behavior behind the wheel is disrespectful, dangerous, and even sometimes life-threatening.

While rude driving rates vary by state, it’s no secret that there are plenty of drivers across the country who are not only impolite but also endanger the lives of others with their inconsiderate driving habits. Curious to see which city boasts — or, unfortunately, hosts — the rudest drivers in each state, the research team at Insurify consulted their database of over 4 million car insurance applications.

Composite Score Breakdown

Rude driving rate

Across the 869 U.S. cities surveyed, on average, 22.65 out of every 1,000 drivers have been cited for one or more “rude” infractions. The city with the highest rate of drivers with rude driving citations in the nation is Rancho Cordova, California; Rancho Cordova’s rude driving rate exceeds the national average by 65 percent. Somerset, Kentucky is home to the most polite drivers in the nation, with a rude driving rate that’s 93 percent lower than average.

Failure to stop rate

Failure to stop violations are the most common rude driving infractions. The average rate of failure to stop (at a stop sign or a red light) in cities across the nation is 14.56 per 1,000 drivers. Nationwide, Citrus Heights, California has the highest share of drivers with at least one failure to stop violation on their record, at 76 percent greater than the national average. Somerset, Kentucky, where the most polite drivers in the nation live, has the lowest rate of failure to stop violations, at 89 percent lower than the national average.

Failure to yield rate

The second-most common rude driving infraction is failure to yield, and across U.S. cities, drivers on average are cited for this violation at a rate of 4.75 per 1,000 drivers. Drivers in Riverdale, Georgia have the highest failure to yield rate in the nation at 75 percent greater than the national average. Boca Raton, Florida has the lowest failure to yield violation rate; Boca Raton drivers are cited for failing to yield 91 percent less frequently than the average American driver.

Tailgating, illegal passing, improper backing, hit-and-runs, and street racing rates

While other rude driving infractions occur at less frequent rates, they are not any less dangerous. The average tailgating rate across U.S. cities is 10.01 per 10,000 drivers. The average rate of passing where prohibited is 6.75 per 10,000 drivers. For improper backing, hit-and-runs, and street racing, the average violation rates are 1.38 per 10,000 drivers, 4.65 per 10,000 drivers, and 0.60 per 10,000 drivers, respectively.

Methodology

The data scientists at Insurify, a site to compare auto insurance rates, referred to their database of over 4 million car insurance applications to identify the city with the rudest drivers in every state in 2021.

When applying for car insurance, drivers disclose their city and state of residence, in addition to any prior violations on their driving record. In this analysis, rude driving is defined by having one or more of the following infractions on record: failure to yield violations (failure to yield the right of way, failure to yield to a pedestrian) , failure to stop violations (failure to stop for a red light, school bus, or stop sign), improper backing, passing where prohibited, tailgating, street racing, and hit-and-runs.

To determine the rudest cities in the nation, Insurify’s data scientists calculated the share of drivers with one or more rude violations on their driving record in 869 U.S. cities. The city with the highest share of drivers with these violations in each state was identified as the city with the rudest drivers for its respective state. States with insufficient municipal data were excluded from the analysis (Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and Vermont).

The Rudest Driving Cities by State

Alabama: Phenix City

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 24.48 per 1,000 (31% ruder than state average)

Arizona: Flagstaff

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 35.00 per 1,000 (43% ruder than state average)

Arkansas: West Memphis

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 27.12 per 1,000 (39% ruder than state average)

California: Rancho Cordova

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 65.37 per 1,000 (62% ruder than state average)

Colorado: Broomfield

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 42.39 per 1,000 (30% ruder than state average)

Connecticut: Bristol

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 24.60 per 1,000 (35% ruder than state average)

Delaware: New Castle

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 22.96 per 1,000 (17% ruder than state average)

Florida: Winter Park

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 45.66 per 1,000 (53% ruder than state average)

Georgia: Hampton

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 62.35 per 1,000 (41% ruder than state average)

Idaho: Pocatello

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 52.80 per 1,000 (24% ruder than state average)

Illinois: Aurora

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 38.72 per 1,000 (24% ruder than state average)

Indiana: Hammond

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 31.07 per 1,000 (34% ruder than state average)

Iowa: Sioux City

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 48.36 per 1,000 (33% ruder than state average)

Kansas: Overland Park

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 28.84 per 1,000 (15% ruder than state average)

Kentucky: Frankfort

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 27.64 per 1,000 (61% ruder than state average)

Louisiana: Metairie

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 17.94 per 1,000 (25% ruder than state average)

Maryland: Upper Marlboro

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 25.03 per 1,000 (42% ruder than state average)

Massachusetts: Lowell

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 42.34 per 1,000 (55% ruder than state average)

Michigan: Southfield

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 27.89 per 1,000 (36% ruder than state average)

Mississippi: Southaven

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 19.13 per 1,000 (30% ruder than state average)

Missouri: Cape Girardeau

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 34.11 per 1,000 (44% ruder than state average)

Montana: Billings

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 27.41 per 1,000 (5% ruder than state average)

Nebraska: Bellevue

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 40.08 per 1,000 (11% ruder than state average)

Nevada: Sparks

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 21.57 per 1,000 (27% ruder than state average)

New Jersey: Clifton

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 35.43 per 1,000 (33% ruder than state average)

New Mexico: Santa Fe

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 21.94 per 1,000 (38% ruder than state average)

New York: Schenectady

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 30.64 per 1,000 (36% ruder than state average)

North Carolina: Asheville

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 26.94 per 1,000 (30% ruder than state average)

Ohio: Dayton

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 40.78 per 1,000 (16% ruder than state average)

Oklahoma: Norman

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 26.20 per 1,000 (32% ruder than state average)

Oregon: Salem

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 47.31 per 1,000 (46% ruder than state average)

Pennsylvania: Erie

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 40.31 per 1,000 (39% ruder than state average)

Rhode Island: Pawtucket

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 25.32 per 1,000 (23% ruder than state average)

South Carolina: Mount Pleasant

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 31.55 per 1,000 (46% ruder than state average)

South Dakota: Rapid City

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 22.85 per 1,000 (5% ruder than state average)

Tennessee: Lebanon

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 29.41 per 1,000 (33% ruder than state average)

Texas: Copperas Cove

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 30.79 per 1,000 (53% ruder than state average)

Utah: Clearfield

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 39.43 per 1,000 (26% ruder than state average)

Virginia: Petersburg

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 53.36 per 1,000 (34% ruder than state average)

Washington: Renton

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 46.15 per 1,000 (37% ruder than state average)

West Virginia: Morgantown

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 23.51 per 1,000 (36% ruder than state average)

Wisconsin: Kenosha

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 42.88 per 1,000 (22% ruder than state average)

Wyoming: Cheyenne

• Drivers cited for rude behavior: 34.56 per 1,000 (4% ruder than state average)

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