Aggressive driving habits like speeding, rapid acceleration and braking is the quickest way to waste gas and lower gas mileage by as much as 40 percent, costing drivers up to an extra $477 per year in fuel consumption. With gas prices at the highest levels since 2015, GasBuddy reveals the states with the most aggressive drivers, causing them to make more frequent trips to the pump.
California consistently tops the list of having the most expensive gas prices in the nation, currently averaging $3.56 per gallon. Combined with traffic and congestion, the GasBuddy Aggressive Driving study reveals the way Californians are driving is also contributing to a larger gasoline budget.
“Our findings indicate that states with densely populated cities and high levels of congestion are where motorists are more inclined to drive aggressively,” said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “And with gas prices expected to continue to rise well into the summer months, simply being aware of how you drive can dramatically lower fuel costs, prevent damages to your vehicle, and make the roads safer for everyone.”
ADDITIONAL FINDINGS
Top States with the Most Aggressive Drivers Per Region
Hard Braking #1 Aggressive Event: Hard braking is the most frequent aggressive driving event, making up 67% of total events analyzed, followed by speeding (25%) and acceleration (8%).
Higher Speeds ≠ Aggressive Driving: Some of the states with the highest average speeds (52 – 55 MPH) have the lowest frequency of aggressive driving events, including Wyoming (46) and the Dakotas (47-48), states with open roads and little congestion. Alaska (50) is the state with the lowest frequency of aggressive driving events, with one event occurring every 29 minutes on average.
Complete state rankings can be found here.
Methodology
The findings were compiled using data from GasBuddy’s Trips feature that provides drivers with an assessment of their driving habits during their trip in an effort to improve fuel efficiency, mapping out when and where a poor driving habit occurred.
GasBuddy examined tens of millions of Trips in the fifty states from Dec. 2017 – March 2018, noting the frequency of an aggressive event while driving, whether it be speeding, hard braking or accelerating.