(Photo © J. Maus)
According to a nationwide survey, Portland motorists are no longer the most courteous in the nation.
Unlike last year — when Portland drivers topped the “Most Courteous Cities for Drivers” list compiled by AutoVantage (an “automobile benefits club” with over 500,000 members) — this year Pittsburgh was ranked #1 and Portland fell to #2.
When asked, “Which of the following rage-inducing behaviors do you see committed by other drivers at least once-per-week?” the responses showed that cyclists are not the only ones who have trouble following the rules of the road: 98% of respondents said they saw other drivers talking on cell phones; 87% of them “drive too fast”; 79% switch lanes “unsafely”; and 62% run red lights.
When asked “Which of the following behaviors have you performed at least once within the past week while driving?” 32% admitted to driving to fast while only 8% admitted to “switching lanes unsafely” and a mere 3% admitted to running red lights.
2,512 people were interviewed in the survey which was conducted between February 4 and March 23, 2008 by an independent research firm in 25 major U.S. metropolitan areas.
More info on the survey can be found here.
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What do you think about Portland’s drivers…especially compared to other places you’ve ridden?