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.