Survey: Texters Make Most Annoying Drivers

The roads are full of annoying motorists, and navigating the sea of distracted drivers can be dangerous and maddening. There are the tailgaters, the turn-signal averse, the left-lane hoggers ... the list goes on ... and on. 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) from KickingTires http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/

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