Pickup Trucks With the Most Aggressive Drivers

Driver reputations can be unfairly generalized stereotypes, but owners of these five pickup trucks really do exhibit the aggressive driving behavior often associated with their vehicle.

When it comes to America’s favorite vehicles, pickup trucks are in a class of their own. Their off-road capability and excellent towing capacity make them some of the most well-loved cars in the nation. In fact, the Ford F-150 is the most popular car in America, according to Insurify’s 2021 Insuring the American Driver Report. The Chevrolet Silverado and the Toyota Tacoma are also among the nation’s top five favorites, ranking ahead of practically every sedan, SUV, and crossover on the market.

In addition to their vehicle’s widespread popularity, pickup truck owners have also garnered a reputation when it comes to their driving behavior. Indeed, many Americans assume hostile driving is par for the course when it comes to pickup truck drivers, perhaps because pickups command more space than the average vehicle.

Curious to see which pickup truck drivers actually demonstrate the most extreme forms of aggressive driving behavior, the data scientists at Insurify turned to their database of over 4 million car insurance applications to determine the five pickup trucks with the most aggressive drivers.

Insights

• National averages. Across all pickup truck drivers in America, 11.46% have a prior citation for aggressive driving behavior. The most common aggressive driving violation is speeding. In 2021, the average price of a new full-size pickup truck is $57,267.

• Pickup truck drivers are less aggressive on average than other drivers. Pickup truck drivers have a reputation for less-than-considerate driving, perhaps because their vehicles take up more of the road than the average car. As it turns out, however, pickup drivers actually demonstrate aggressive driving behavior slightly less often than the average motorist. 11.69% of all drivers in the U.S. report a prior aggressive driving citation on record, a share that’s 2% higher than the aggressive driving rate of pickup truck owners.

• Model behavior: the least aggressive pickup. Believe it or not, Honda Ridgeline drivers are not only the least aggressive drivers among pickup truck owners, but they’re also some of the most polite drivers on the road across all vehicles. Their aggressive driving rate of 8.32% is a full 27% lower than the national average for pickup truck drivers.

Methodology

To identify the pickup trucks with the most aggressive drivers, the data scientists at Insurify, an auto insurance comparison site, referred to their database of over 4 million car insurance applications.

To apply for car insurance, drivers input personal and vehicle information, including the make and model of the car they drive and any accidents or moving violations on their record in the past seven years. Insurify’s data scientists classified the following driving violations as the most extreme forms of aggressive driving behavior: speeding (exceeding the posted speed limit, driving too fast for conditions), failure to stop violations (failure to stop for a red light, school bus, or stop sign), failure to yield violations (failure to yield the right of way, failure to yield to a pedestrian), reckless driving, passing where prohibited, and tailgating.

Insurify’s data science team compared the number of pickup truck owners with one or more aggressive driving violations to the total number of drivers for each make and model to determine the proportion of drivers with an aggressive driving citation on record. From this analysis, they identified the top five pickup models with the highest share of drivers with aggressive driving citations.

Each pickup’s MSRP comes from the most recent available model listed on Autoblog, and the average cost of a new car in 2021 comes from Kelly Blue Book’s June vehicle price data.

The findings in this article represent statistical trends found in Insurify’s database of over 4 million car insurance applications. The findings of this study are not meant to imply the direction nor necessarily the existence of a causal relationship. Rather, this is a presentation of statistical correlations of public interest.

5 Pickup Trucks With the Most Aggressive Drivers

5. Chevrolet Silverado

• Drivers cited for aggressive driving behavior: 12.56% (10% higher than the national average)

• Most common non-speeding aggressive driving violation: Failure to stop at a stop sign

• MSRP (base model): $29,300

The Chevrolet Silverado is one of the most popular pickup trucks in America, earning praise for its quality, reliability, and affordable price tag. It’s also one of the most popular trucks among motorists that demonstrate aggressive driving behavior too often: 12.56% of Silverado drivers have an aggressive driving violation on record, a share that’s 10% higher than the national average. Besides speeding, Silverado drivers most commonly report citations for failing to stop at a stop sign.

4. RAM 3500

• Drivers cited for aggressive driving behavior: 12.78% (11% higher than the national average)

• Most common non-speeding aggressive driving violation: Failure to yield to another driver

• MSRP (base model): $38,565

With a 2022 MSRP starting at nearly $40,000, the RAM 3500 is one of the most expensive pickup trucks on the market, and for good reason—it comes standard with a 370 hp engine and a towing capacity over 13,000 pounds. It appears, however, that some RAM 3500 drivers have let all this power become too out of hand, as the model ranks fourth on the list of pickup trucks with the most aggressive drivers. The RAM 3500 is also the only pickup in the top five whose drivers’ most common non-speeding offense is failure to yield to another driver.

3. GMC Sierra

• Drivers cited for aggressive driving behavior: 12.83% (12% higher than the national average)

• Most common non-speeding aggressive driving violation: Failure to stop at a stop sign

• MSRP (base model): $31,200

The GMC Sierra is the fifth-most popular pickup truck in America, according to Insurify’s analysis, but its owners actually demonstrate aggressive driving behavior at the third-highest rate of any pickup in the nation. 12.38% of Sierra drivers report an aggressive driving citation on record, a share that’s 12% higher than the national average among pickup truck owners.

2. RAM 2500

• Drivers cited for aggressive driving behavior: 13.07% (14% higher than the national average)

• Most common non-speeding aggressive driving violation: Failure to stop at a stop sign

• MSRP (base model): $37,050

Though it lacks the same towing capacity as the 3500, the RAM 2500 still packs a punch compared to most full-size pickups, earning high praise for its ample horsepower and cargo space. Also like the 3500, RAM 2500 drivers exhibit aggressive driving behavior at elevated rates. In fact, RAM 2500 drivers report aggressive driving citations 14% more often than average, placing them second on the list of pickup truck drivers with the most aggressive driving violations.

1. Chevrolet C1500

• Drivers cited for aggressive driving behavior: 13.15% (15% higher than the national average)

• Most common non-speeding aggressive driving violation: Failure to stop at a stop sign

• MSRP (base model): $15,655

The Chevrolet C1500 truly exemplifies “oldie but goodie.” Even though Chevrolet discontinued the C1500 line over two decades ago, plenty of C1500s are still going strong on the roads. Unfortunately, while Chevy C1500 drivers have clearly taken attentive care of their own vehicles, some have not demonstrated that same consideration towards their fellow motorists. 13.15% of C1500 drivers have an aggressive driving citation on record, ranking the Chevy C1500 first on the list of pickup trucks with the most aggressive drivers.

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