Traffic, Accidents, and Road Rage

Although recent statistics show the United States does have some very dangerous and crowded highways, the U.S. is not number one when it comes to the most congested roadways in the world. In fact, the U.S. doesn’t even rank in the top ten places with the worst traffic in the world.

According to the Numbeo research firm, Kenya actually has the worst traffic in the world. Numbeo compiled data from 88 countries in order to come up with a “traffic index” used for ranking the time consumed in traffic due to job commute, estimation of time consumption dissatisfaction, and overall inefficiencies in a traffic system. Given those factors, Kenya ranked the highest on the Numbeo Traffic Index with a score of 317. What were the rest of the top ten countries with the worst traffic? Here’s how they ranked:

Worst Traffic in the World –

1. Kenya 317
2. Egypt 293
3. Bangladesh 280
4. Bolivia 243
5. Nigeria 241
6. Jordan 232
7. Iran 214
8. South Africa 208
9. Philippines 202
10. Thailand 200

However, as any urban American knows, the U.S. does have its’ fair share of clogged roadways. The traffic navigation firm TomTom recently found that of the list of U.S. cities with the most crowded roads is topped by those not-so-lucky commuters driving in Los Angeles. The top ten list of the most congested roadways in the U.S. shakes out like this:

U.S. Cities with the Worst Traffic –

1. Los Angeles
2. San Francisco
3. Honolulu
4. New York
5. Seattle
6. San Jose
7. Miami
8. Chicago
9. Washington, D.C.
10. Portland

All that traffic makes for very unhappy drivers, and if they get unhappy enough, their mild discomfort can turn into maximum road rage. More traffic seems to equal more road rage, as a recent  survey concluded that the number-one road rage city in America is Los Angeles. Additional data from the Auto Insurance Center shows that drivers experience the most incidents of road rage during the month of August. As the summer months usually have more cars on the road, July is ranked as the second-most road-ragious month for American drivers, followed by October and March, which tied for third place. Which U.S. cities are afflicted with the most road rage? Here’s the top six:

U.S. Cities with the Most Road Rage –

1. Los Angeles
2. New York City
3. Mount Pleasant, North Carolina
4. Honolulu, Hawaii
5. Portland, Oregon
6. Scottsdale, Arizona

Congested roads full of angry drivers can make driving a dangerous proposition. The danger can easily be seen when looking at the huge numbers of traffic accidents that occur each year in this country. The worst accidents are those that result in fatalities of course, and The U.S. Department of Transportation recently determined that traffic fatalities in the U.S. increased 10.4 percent during the first six months of 2016 compared to the same time period in 2015.

The increase could be the result of lower gas prices and more drivers on the road. However, considering the fact that a recent study found that 61 percent of U.S. drivers use their cell phones while driving, the increase in fatalities is likely due to more distracted driving. Distracted driving is at epidemic proportions in America these days, and it has caused some of our highways to become truly deadly.

Looking at the list of deadliest interstate highways in America (based on fatalities per mile) quickly shows that 132 miles of Interstate 4 in Florida, with 1.41 fatalities per mile in just the past six years, is the most dangerous interstate in the United States. Where are the rest of the most dangerous and deadly highways in the U.S.? Here is the top ten:

Deadliest Interstate Highways in America –

1. Interstate 4 – from Tampa to Daytona Beach, Florida.
2. Interstate 45 – between Dallas and Houston, Texas.
3. Interstate 17 – from Phoenix to Flagstaff, Arizona.
4. Interstate 30 – from Fort Worth, Texas to Little Rock, Arkansas.
5. Interstate 95 – from Miami, Florida to Houlton, Maine.
6. Interstate 19 – from Nogales to Tucson, Arizona.
7. Interstate 10 – from Santa Monica, California to Jacksonville, Florida.
8. Interstate 37 – from Corpus Christi to San Antonio, Texas.
9. Interstate 26 – from Kingsport, Tennessee to Charleston, South Carolina.
10. Interstate 97 – from Annapolis to Baltimore, Maryland.

While the deadliest interstate highways are also some the busiest and most travelled routes in the country, it is clear that driving, anywhere, is becoming increasingly dangerous. Everyone who drives can take steps to help reduce the number of accidents, road rage incidents and ultimately, the number of fatalities out there on the roads today. So please drive safely and put down that cell phone!

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