What Riles Drivers Most
Study shows top pet peeves, along with drivers’ secret judgments about other motorists.

Over a quarter of poll respondents say they themselves are innocent of the hated trespasses.
Pexels/Roman Pohorecki
A poll confirms what most drivers already knew: Driving can be a pain in the you know what. The results reveal just which irritants rankle the most.
At the top of drivers’ pet peeves list, as revealed in the LendingTree survey, sits texting while driving, a practice that’s illegal in most states but that happens nonetheless.
More than half of drivers who acknowledge having pet peeves on the road – and 92% say they have them – point to texting drivers as the worst of them. The most common peeving offense among respondents who admitted to committing them is, you guessed it, texting while driving.
“Texting while driving is deadly and inexcusable,” says LendingTree auto insurance specialist Rob Bhatt. “In the amount of time it takes to send a note or check your screen, you can miss seeing cars stopped in unexpected freeway traffic in front of you or a worker on the side of the road. It’s 100% avoidable.”
The poll found the second- and third-ranking pet peeves are driving slowly in a passing lane, 44%, and drivers who block fellow travelers from merging, 41%.
Perhaps ironically, 27% of poll respondents say they themselves are innocent of such trespasses.
Irritating other drivers can of course have consequences. The study found the unsurprising fact that driving can raise people’s dander.
Half of respondents said they’ve experienced what they consider road rage, and half of those said it moved them to drive aggressively. Traffic tempers were more common among men – 56% versus 43% of women, and especially among the youngest drivers – 62% of generation Z drivers and 59% of millennial ones.
The poll revealed other interesting road habits and prejudices. For more detail, visit the test results page.
LEARN MORE: Most Drivers Would Accept Speed-Warning Tech
Originally posted on Auto Dealer Today
More Industry

Service on Wheels
More auto dealerships are offering mobile servicing for today’s convenience-minded consumers to boost business and stand out from competition, though it may not fit every store.
Read More →
Luxury Auto Group Sells San Diego Stores
A major U.S. luxury automotive group, O’Gara Coach, sold its rooftops in La Jolla, a coastal neighborhood in San Diego, Calif.
Read More →
Parts Delivery Takes Flight
A Detroit auto group has launched an autonomous parts-delivery program using drone technology, thanks to a grant from Michigan’s Advanced Air Mobility Activation Fund.
Read More →
Recalled Vehicles Hit 5-Year High
Though the number of events has fallen so far this year, impacted units are up significantly. Meanwhile, regulators consider consumer notification changes.
Read More →
NY Advances Charging Infrastructure
Public EV charging in New York is getting a boost with a new program designed to help public entities cut purchase and installation costs of Level 2 charging stations.
Read More →
China as Pacesetter
Automotive leaders huddled on where North America stands in the global picture and how it can strengthen its position against the Asian juggernaut’s surging industry.
Read More →
Find Efficiency in Fixed Ops
A new report shows how service departments can maximize their profitability through efficiency, productivity and the right tools in technicians' hands.
Read More →
Closing the Seat Gap
Mass-market brand vehicle seats are outpacing luxury versions when it comes to customer satisfaction, according JD Power research.
Read More →
Auto Industry Execs Talk Trade, Tariffs
Participants in a U.S.-Canada discussion tallied the costs and compiled a list of remedies, including preservation of the North American trade agreement that the U.S. recently declined to renew.
Read More →
Structure Leads to Optimized Auto Listings
As the average car-buying journey has shifted to a blend of digital and retail, a dealership’s vehicle listings must be optimized to answer shoppers’ questions clearly and accurately.
Read More →