Survey: Texters Make Most Annoying Drivers
But what behavior really gets your goat? According to a Consumer Reports survey, texters top the list of most annoying drivers. Consumer Reports polled 895 Americans in a January 2012 telephone survey and asked the respondents to rate 20 common driver complaints on a scale from one (not annoyed) to 10 (very annoyed).
Texting while driving (8.9), able-bodied drivers parking in handicapped spaces (8.7) and tailgaters (8.4) were the top three gripes.
Age and gender had a lot to do with the results: Women were more irritated by texters and tailgaters, and younger drivers were less bothered by loud music than older motorists.
See the full list below.
| Most annoying behaviors | Scale 1-10 |
| Texting on a cell phone while driving | 8.9 |
| Able-bodied drivers parking in handicapped spaces | 8.7 |
| Tailgaters | 8.4 |
| Drivers who cut you off | 8.3 |
| Speeding and swerving in and out of traffic | 8.2 |
| Taking up two parking spaces | 7.7 |
| Talking on a cell phone while driving | 7.6 |
| Not letting you merge into a lane | 7.6 |
| Not dimming high beams when approaching | 7.6 |
| Not using turn signals | 7.5 |
| Slow drivers dawdling in the passing lane | 7.3 |
| Jaywalkers stepping in front of your car | 7.3 |
| Excessive horn honking | 7.1 |
| Slowing down to “rubberneck” at accidents | 7.0 |
| Not turning on lights when it’s raining or at dusk | 6.8 |
| Drivers who are indecisive about where to turn | 6.6 |
| Slow drivers on a two-lane road who won’t pull over | 6.5 |
| Not going when the light turns green | 6.1 |
| Bicyclists who don’t let you by | 5.8 |
| Cranking up the radio volume | 5.7 |
2012 Annual Auto Issue: Survey Reveals Top Gripes Among Drivers (Consumer Reports)
