The New England State With the Most Confrontational Drivers Isn’t What You’d Think, According to Forbes

We're stating the obvious when we say New Englanders can be aggressive behind the wheel, but it's true.

Our region has all sorts of stereotypes associated with it, but one thing's for sure: if you spend enough time in these parts, you'll eventually hear complaints about our reckless drivers (more specifically, "M*ssholes"), on our roads and highways.

Now, are these stereotypes generalized? Of course. But when Forbes Advisor shared this list of states with the most confrontational drivers, this writer admittedly expected both Massachusetts and Connecticut to rank highly. After all, Connecticut has its share of NYC traffic, and we've already mentioned one of the many words and phrases used to describe drivers from the Commonwealth.

But neither the Bay nor Nutmeg states are among the top five places with the most confrontational drivers. Instead, the highest-ranked New England state is one known for scenic shorelines, jewelry production, and majestic coastal mansions.

Yep, you guessed it. According to Forbes Advisor, Rhode Island not only has the most confrontational drivers in all of New England, but almost the entire country. Only Arizona has folks who are even more aggressive when behind the wheel.

How was this conclusion reached? Forbes explains that 10,000 licensed drivers across the nation participated in a survey, and the findings were then compared across nine key metrics.

Here's some of what the study revealed about Rhode Island drivers:

• 63.5% of drivers were likely to report that "another driver has tried to block their car from changing lanes."
• 96.5% of drivers were likely to report that "another driver has yelled at them, insulted them, cursed at them or made threats."
• 57% of drivers were likely to report that "another driver has exited their vehicle to yell at or fight with them."
• 73% of drivers were likely to "experience rude or offensive gestures while driving."

To view the full results, click here.