The DMV is a stressful place to drive—constant congestion plus high-stress living is not a good combo—but that doesn’t excuse lashing out at fellow drivers. Unfortunately, it turns out we here in The District have to deal with some very aggressive drivers. According to a study by Forbes Advisor, Virginia and Maryland have some of the most confrontational drivers in the U.S.
To determine the rankings, Forbes surveyed 10,000 licensed drivers in all 50 states and compared the states across nine key metrics that reflect incidents of road rage, including the percentage of drivers who report that another driver has forced their car off the road, who report experiencing road rage frequently from other drivers in their home state, who report that another driver has yelled at them or made threats and other metrics.
California tops the list of drivers experiencing the most road rage, and who can blame them? L.A. traffic alone seals the deal for that state. Four of the 10 states with the most aggressive drivers are in the South, and that includes—you guessed it—Virginia and Maryland.
Virginia fell in the rankings from number four in 2023 to number seven (tied with Indiana) in 2024. The state has the second-highest percentage of drivers who report another driver has forced their car off the road and the second-highest percentage of drivers who say another driver has tried to block their car from merging or changing lanes.
Maryland comes in at number 10, an unfortunate jump from number 19 in 2023. The state has the third-highest percentage of drivers who report that another driver has tried to block their car from merging or changing lanes and the fifth-highest percentage of drivers who say that another driver has cut them off on purpose. At least drivers in Maryland can say they’re less aggressive than drivers from Virginia.
So there you have it, we’re a region of aggressive drivers. Find the full report here, and please—try to be kind when you’re on the road out there.