How often do you go out of your way to be a polite driver to others on the road? According to a new poll from PEMCO Insurance, drivers across the Northwest are seeing fewer courteous gestures from fellow commuters – like yielding, waving, signaling or allowing someone to pass – than they once reported in years past. Instead, the poll shows that respondents are more likely to witness rude gestures on the road today, compared to 2015.

PEMCO’s poll of Seattle and Portland residents found that the average number of polite gestures drivers say they see from others on the road has decreased significantly from 6.9 per month in 2015 down to 5.7 per month today.

In Portland, nearly half of respondents in 2015 (48%) said they personally saw a fellow driver go out of their way to be polite at least five times per month. Today, just one-third (36%) say they see at least five kind gestures from others on the road.

The situation was only slightly better in Seattle where 53% of drivers in 2018 witnessed five or more polite gestures, compared to just 40% of drivers today who say they see kindness at least five times per month from others.

"We’re all busy getting to where we need to go, but we hope our poll shines a light on an opportunity to slow down and show each other some grace on the road. There’s a good chance a simple gesture, like waving when someone lets you in or yielding to let another merge in front of you, will go a long way to brighten someone’s day,” said PEMCO spokesperson Allison Leep.

While the poll found that politeness is down, in a more troubling trend, the number of times drivers say they witness and engage in aggressive behavior behind the wheel is on the rise.

While more than half of Northwest drivers (54%) claim to keep their cool on the roads, about two in five respondents (42%) report witnessing an act of aggression from their fellow drivers at least 10 times per month.

In Seattle in 2015, about one-third of drivers (35%) said they witnessed 10 or more aggressive acts from other drivers, including speeding, tailgating and erratic maneuvers. Today, 43% of Seattle drivers say they see rude gestures from other drivers at least 10 times per month.

Interestingly, Seattle parents admit to driving aggressively much more frequently than their counterparts who don’t have kids in the home. Seattle parents are aggressive almost three times more than those without kids. Of them, 17% of drivers with kids say they’re aggressive more than 10 times per month while just 2% of child-free drivers say the same.

“When we talk about places known for aggressive drivers, the Pacific Northwest doesn’t often come to mind for many of us, so we’ll be interested to continue tracking these attitudes over time,” said PEMCO Spokesperson Allison Leep. “While we all have room to improve, at PEMCO, we always champion safety above all else. By driving defensively rather than offensively we can ensure each other’s safety.”

For a complete summary of PEMCO’s proprietary poll results visit www.pemco.com/blog/nw-polls, where you’ll find responses collected by FBK Research of Seattle in July 2022.

About the PEMCO Insurance Northwest Poll

PEMCO Mutual Insurance commissioned this independent survey, conducted by FBK Research of Seattle, that asked Washington and Oregon residents questions about driving habits and attitudes toward current Northwest issues. The sample size, 481 respondents in the Seattle Metro (King, Snohomish, Pierce Counties) region and 399 respondents in the Portland Metro (Multnomah, Marion, Clackamas, Washington Counties) region yields an accuracy of +/- 5.0% respectively at the 95% confidence level. In other words, if this study were conducted 100 times, in 95 instances the data will not vary by more than the associated error range.

About PEMCO Mutual Insurance

PEMCO Mutual Insurance is the Defender of Your Northwest, providing auto, home, renters and boat coverage. We are consistently recognized for outstanding service, employee expertise and social impact. Our Mutual Good programs raise the achievement levels for youth in education; build stronger, greener environments; and increase safety at home, on the road and at play. Our mission: Free our communities to worry less and live more. To learn more, visit www.pemco.com.

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