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Contemplating a road trip? These are the US cities with the rudest and most polite drivers

Shanti Lerner
Arizona Republic

If you're planning a road trip to a city or state you've never been to before, it's reassuring to know ahead of time what to expect from its drivers. Will they let you in if you suddenly realize  you need to merge or engage in some inappropriate sign language? 

Insurify.com, a website that helps consumers compare rates for auto and home insurance. has listed the city with the rudest driver in every U.S. state.

So what defines rude driving?

According to the company, rude drivers have one or more of the following infractions on their records:

  • Failure to yield.
  • Failure to stop.
  • Improper backing.
  • Passing where prohibited.
  • Tailgating.
  • Street racing.
  • Hit-and-run.

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These violations are disclosed when drivers apply for car insurance.

Hall of shame: The rudest drivers in every state

An angry driver.

Here are the cities singled out by Insurify.com as having the rudest drivers in each 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)

Insurify analyzed its database of over 4 million car insurance applications in 2021. Data scientists computed the number of drivers in 869 cities with one or more rude violations on their records.

According to Insurify, the cities with the highest shares of drivers with these violations were determined to be the cities with the rudest drivers. Flagstaff tops Insurify's list for Arizona with 35 rude drivers per 1,000 motorists. Flagstaff drivers are 43% ruder than the state average, according to Insurify.

5 cities with the rudest drivers

  1. Rancho Cordova, California: 65.37 per 1,000.
  2. Citrus Heights, California: 64.14 per 1,000.
  3. Ventura, California: 64.03 per 1,000.
  4. Hampton, Georgia: 62.35 per 1,000.
  5. Petersburg, Virginia: 53.36 per 1,000.

5 cities with the most polite drivers

  1. Somerset, Kentucky: 1.62 per 1,000.
  2. Corbin, Kentucky: 1.86 per 1,000.
  3. Rio Rancho, New Mexico: 3.8 per 1,000.
  4. Metairie, Louisiana: 17.94 per 1,000.
  5. Southaven, Mississippi: 19.3 per 1,000.

You can connect with Arizona Republic Culture and Outdoors Reporter Shanti Lerner through email at shanti.lerner@gannett.com  or you can also follow her on Twitter. 

Contributing: Jayme Deerwester, USA TODAY

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