This Generation Is Most Likely To Admit Driving Aggressively

One generation isn’t afraid to admit that it has become a bit of a terror on the nation’s roadways.

Nearly three-quarters of Generation Z drivers — 73% — admit to engaging in at least one “act of aggressive driving or road rage” during the past year, according to a recent survey of 2,388 respondents by The Zebra.

That number is significantly higher than for members of other generations.

Here is a look at the percentage of drivers in each generation who admit to getting a little surly behind the wheel:

• Generation Z: 73%
• Millennials: 61%
• Generation X: 54%
• Baby boomers: 44%

It’s likely that Gen Z’s place at the top of this list does not come as a huge surprise to most of us. Everybody knows that youth and impetuous behavior sometimes go hand in hand.

Still, having three-quarters of drivers in one age group admitting to potentially dangerous behavior surely should ring some alarm bells.

Fortunately, the bad behavior most often reported by drivers in all age groups — honking your horn — is relatively mild.

The second most commonly reported bad behavior differs by generation: Generation Z reports making obscene gestures, millennials confess to distracted driving, and both Gen X and baby boomers say they sometimes change lanes without signaling.

Many Gen Z drivers do not appear to be having much fun when they climb behind the wheel. Nearly one-third — 29% — say they “very frequently” or “almost always” feel frustrated when they drive.

Millennials also are unhappy drivers, with 27% reporting the same degree of frustration.

By contrast, just 10% of the general population says they “very frequently” or “almost always” feel frustrated when driving. And 54% of boomers and 43% of Gen Xers say they “rarely” or “never” feel frustration when they drive.