Road rage rankings: Drivers in Georgia among the nicest in the nation

ATLANTA - If you've noticed a little more tension on the highways lately, you're not alone. According to the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive, violent road rage incidents across the U.S. have skyrocketed over the past decade. In fact, road rage shootings have surged by more than 400%, jumping from 92 cases in 2014 to a staggering 481 in 2023.

Just this week, a 51-year-old man in Midtown Atlanta was shot in the arm during a road rage incident on Northside Drive near 10th Street. After the initial shooting, the suspect crashed into two other cars, taking a few more shots at another vehicle, and then turned the gun on himself.

This disturbing trend comes on the heels of a new Forbes survey that ranks Georgia as 47th among all 50 states for the most confrontational drivers. Yes, you read that right. Despite the drama, Georgia drivers are apparently some of the calmest in the nation. Go figure.

Forbes conducted a survey of 10,000 licensed drivers, comparing all 50 states across nine key metrics. The results were eyebrow-raising, to say the least. California, the land of sunshine and surfboards, took the top spot with a perfect score of 100 out of 100. Nearly half of California drivers (47.5%) reported being cut off, 32% said they've been yelled at or insulted, and a whopping 60.5% have been tailgated. Clearly, California drivers are living out their own personal action movies every time they hit the road.

Other Georgia ranking stories

• Metro Atlanta city named best suburb in the country
• Atlanta named 2nd sweatiest city in the U.S. by Thumbtack
• Atlanta ranked No. 62 on Best- and Worst-Run Cities list from WalletHub
• Decatur ranked as most charming small town in North America by Betway
• Atlanta named 8th-best city to have a staycation, study finds
• Georgia's Best States Ranking: Moving up but missing the Top 10
• Georgia city named among Top 100 Best Places to Live in US 
• Georgia beach named among the best in the US by Travel and Leisure 
• Metro Atlanta city named best place to move to in Georgia 
• Best Places to Live in America rankings released, how did Georgia do? 
• Atlanta ranked as 4th loneliest city in America, new study says

Rounding out the top five were Missouri (where yelling at other drivers is apparently a pastime), Utah (the place to go if you want to be intentionally cut off), Oklahoma (where rude gestures are as common as cowboy hats), and Colorado (where it's not unusual for someone to exit their vehicle to start a fight—Rocky Mountain brawl, anyone?).

But back to Georgia, where our drivers are almost as nice as peach pie. Only 8.5% of drivers reported being forced off the road, 26% claimed they’ve been blocked from merging or changing lanes, 36.5% have been cut off on purpose, 47.5% said they've been tailgated, and 18.5% admitted to being insulted or threatened. The only states with drivers nicer than ours? North Dakota, South Dakota, and Hawaii. Apparently, it takes more than a little road rage to ruffle Southern feathers.

P.S. One thing to know about Georgia drivers, however. If you are involved in a road rage incident, watch out for a gun. According to a survey done earlier this year, Georgia is in the top 10 list of worst states for road rage shootings, especially in Atlanta.