New study: Miami ranked 5th among U.S. cities with road rage incidents

for those who think Miami traffic is the worst: Surprise, it is!

Just about anyone who drives a vehicle during rush hour traffic knows the feeling of frustration, distraction and maybe a little anger. But some motorists take it farther than others and end up engaged in road rage, where their anger results in violence.

Regarding the number of road rage incidents, Miami ranked fifth among U.S. cities. No other Florida city was ranked in the top 20 cities for road rage incidents. Texas had four cities in the top 20 for road rage episodes.

Angel Ryes & Associates law firm in Dallas, Texas, conducted the analysis of road rage incidents in American cities by comparing 100 towns and examined elements such as aggravating aspects of commuting, time wasted, inefficiencies in a city’s transportation networks and recorded violent outbursts on the road including shootings and law enforcement citations for reckless driving. Those factors were combined to formulate an equation that ended with a total road rage score for each city.

“Commuting in congested urban areas often triggers road rage due to stress and frustration. Long hours in stop-and-go traffic, frequent delays, and time pressure amplify negative emotions. Drivers feel a lack of control, leading to impatience. Poorly timed signals, construction zones, and reckless behavior from others worsen stress, reducing drivers’ tolerance and increasing aggression,” the law firm’s study found.

Data for the equations that compiled the list was drawn from Numbeo, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Gun Violence Archive, and the U.S. Census.

Miami registered a 56.15 total road rage score. Miami had among the highest commute times, wasted time while commuting, and commute satisfaction scores among the top 20 cities with road rage incidents. Miami had a moderate reckless driving score and a moderate “shooting score.”

Houston, Texas, topped the list of cities with the most road rage incidents, followed by Los Angeles, California, Chicago, Illinois, and Nashville, Tennessee, respectively.

Regarding the fewest road rage incidents, no Florida cities were in the top 20 in that category. Lincoln, Nebraska., topped the rankings with the least road rage incidents, followed by Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Omaha, Nebraska, Bakersfield, California, and Boise City, Idaho, respectively.