TomTom Finds LA Drivers Are Actually Quite Diligent

TomTom surveyed drivers from 7 major areas/cities in the U.S. to learn more about their driving behaviors. The 7 cities were:

Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and New York

The survey lumped the drivers into three groups:

1) Courageous drivers - those who do what it takes to overcome the obstacles and complexities of daily driving - Atlanta, Boston, Minneapolis

2) Diligent drivers - those who are extremely conscientious and stick to the rules of the road when driving - Houston and Los Angeles

3) Neutral drivers - the milder, steady, "middle-of-the-road" drivers who typically go with the flow - Chicago and New York

There are also a bevy of statistics about certain driver behaviors:

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Think Boston drivers can be rude?  Well, maybe they are.  Nationwide, less than one in five American drivers will sound the horn when someone cuts them off.  In Boston, it’s close to one in three.  But motorists in Atlanta are more likely to curse or make a crude gesture; 14.4%, in fact, compared with a national average of just 10.7%.

Atlantans also are the most likely to take aggressive action when they’re being tailgated, 26.4% slamming their brakes or slowing down, compared to a national average of 21.6%.

Chicago drivers, on the other hand, will simply get out of the way.  A full 77.1% say they’ll change lanes to avoid a tailgater.  Motorists in the Windy City list flat tires as one of their biggest driving frustrations - the only city where that makes the list.  Bostonians, by contrast, consider “getting lost” one of their pet peeves.

The top frustration for New Yorkers?  Traffic, no surprise, followed by slow drivers and road rage.  A pretty inseparable trio in the Big Apple, so fuhgedaboutit.  Considering that City residents are likely to walk, bike, or take mass transit to work, it seems totally logical that more New Yorkers use their cars for leisure than in any other American city - about twice the national average, it turns out.

Across the country, 58.1% of survey respondents said they commute 45 minutes to an hour each day, but 36.4% said they wouldn’t consider commuting more than 20 minutes.

Drivers in traffic-snarled Los Angeles are, not surprisingly, the most likely to change their route in a hurry if they spot a traffic jam or hear about a tie-up on the radio, 78.3%, it turns out, will make a quick detour.

Maybe it’s because they spend so much time in traffic - or trying to find an alternate route, but Los Angelinos are also the most likely to sing and dance in their car while driving, something 37.4% admitted to TomTom researchers.  In the City of Angels, folks tend to describe destinations by time, rather than distance, so it’s also no shock that 79% of motorists there will leave early for an appointment, just to play it safe.

Surprisingly, the same number of Houstonians will also leave early, reflecting the steady growth of traffic in the big Texas town.  The oil town’s motorists are most likely to use their GPS to help them locate a gas station - or to find a familiar destination.

Perhaps it’s not surprising that Minneapolis motorists are the most law-abiding, at least when it comes to speed limits, which 20% said they strictly obey - compared to 13.1% nationwide.  Across the country, 61.3% of Americans say they regularly drive five to 10 mph over the limit.  In Atlanta, it’s 66.2%.

The TomTom drivers’ survey revealed some odd and occasionally embarrassing behaviors, one Boston woman reporting being caught by a truck driver removing her bra - while driving - while another ran out of gas on a rainy morning and had to hike to get help while wearing her cartoon cat PJs.  Across the country, 2% of all Americans admit to picking their noses while driving, but the number jumps to 3% when you survey Atlantans.



So there you have it, 3 percent of Atlantans pick their noses while driving, and are more likely to give you the finger. We're probably too sick and tired of traffic to give obscene gestures in LA.

http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2009/07/which-drivers-are-most-courteous-which-most-likely-to-cut-you-off/