New York City ranked second in the United States for drivers’ tendency to ignore traffic rules, according to a nationwide survey of more than 3,000 drivers by the New Jersey law firm Brett Rosen Law. Three other New York State cities also made the top 20: Rochester, Yonkers and Syracuse.
In the national ranking, New York placed behind only Los Angeles and ahead of Philadelphia, New Orleans and Las Vegas. Rochester came in 10th, Yonkers 13th and Syracuse 19th. In the statewide ranking, Buffalo took fifth place, though it did not make the national top 20.
According to the survey’s authors, driver behavior in New York may be influenced by traffic jams, double-parked vehicles and heavy volumes of buses, cyclists and pedestrians. In Rochester, they pointed to congestion on I-490, I-390 and I-590; in Yonkers, to narrow streets and hilly terrain; and in Syracuse, to traffic near I-81 and I-690.
The survey looked at behavior the authors describe as “entitled driving,” meaning disregard for traffic rules and for the needs of other road users. The category includes blocking bike lanes, making illegal turns, using the shoulder to bypass traffic jams and failing to yield the right of way.
Time pressure emerged as one of the main factors accompanying risky driving. According to the survey, 22% of drivers admitted to exceeding their usual speed when running late for work, and 17% sped up to make it through an intersection before the light changed. Aggressively passing slower vehicles was reported by 9% of respondents, risky lane changes by 8% and following too closely by 7%. Six percent each admitted to unsafe passing with limited visibility or space and to trying to race another driver.
The results also showed the scale of road rage. Twenty-two percent of respondents said honking the horn is the only way they express irritation at another driver, and 17% admitted to yelling or making rude gestures after honking. Meanwhile, 32% said they had used their vehicle to intimidate another person or had considered doing so. About one-quarter of those surveyed had been involved in a road rage incident, including 2% in a physical confrontation. In 1% of cases, police intervened.
Editor: JŁ
Source: Nowy Dziennik
