These Are the 10 States With the Rudest Drivers in America (They’re Not the Ones You Think)

Which states have the rudest drivers in America? It may not be the ones you think.

This past spring, the charity Kars for Kids asked 2,500 motorists–50 from each state–a series of questions to determine whether they were polite or rude behind the wheel. There were some unsurprising results–for instance, women are more polite drivers than men, and drivers in their 50s and early 60s are more polite than those who are younger or older. By region, Western drivers were most polite–dramatically more polite than in any other region.

But the survey also identified the states where drivers were the rudest. Some of those findings are quite unexpected. Here are the top 10:

1. New York

Well, OK, this result probably doesn’t surprise most people. Although, speaking as someone who spent most of her life there, I’d have thought people from New Jersey or Connecticut would beat us out. But no–this research shows that I’m wrong. They’re somewhere around the middle.

2. South Carolina

Huh? What happened to Southern gentility and the supposed slow pace of the South?

3. Arkansas

Same question in an even more rural state.

4. Louisiana

This state has been devastated by flooding. If motorists are harried or hurried, perhaps that’s part of the explanation.

5. Wisconsin

Midwesterners are famous for being polite, unassuming, upstanding citizens. What’s going on here?

6. Maine

Another state known for being courteous and upstanding. It does have the highest median age in the nation, though. Maybe older drivers are part of the problem.

7. Georgia

Again, this state is in the rural and supposedly genteel South. It borders Florida, whose absence on this list is just as surprising, especially since it’s the state where your risk of being run over is the highest.

8. Oklahoma

Another surprise, although this state borders Arkansas so maybe its neighbor’s drivers are exerting a bad influence.

9. Pennsylvania

Blame it on Philadelphia, I guess.

10. Iowa

Iowa? I spent three years living there and–people are generally quite courteous. I have no idea how this state made the list.

You can see the full ranking of states, as well as the full lists of questions here. And you can donate your car to a good cause as well.