STUDY: Hawai‘i Has Least Aggressive Holiday Drivers

According to a recent study, Hawai‘i drivers maintain the aloha spirit during the holidays, while the rest of the country exhibits aggressive driving behaviors.

The holiday season is the most stressful time of the year for the nation’s drivers. The added pressure of errands and traveling for the holidays is transferred to the roads by the way consumers drive, according to a study by GasBuddy.

GasBuddy data shows that consumers driving habits are 175% more “aggressive” during the holidays compared to the rest of the year.

GasBuddy examined millions of driver data in the U.S. during the Thanksgiving holiday week (Nov 21 through 25, 2018), noting the frequency of aggressive events while driving: quick accelerating, hard braking and speeding.

Hawai‘i tops the list of least aggression during the holidays, followed by Alaska, D.C., Montana and Vermont.

The top 10 states with the most aggressive holiday drivers are:

1. Georgia
2. California
3. Texas
4. Louisiana
5. South Carolina
6. Florida
7. Arizona
8. Tennessee
9. Mississippi
10. Oklahoma

The data also revealed that aggressive driving habits occur most during the beginning of the
season, with more instances happening during the drive to the holiday destination versus the
return from.

The actual holiday day—in this case, Thanksgiving—is when it is the calmest behind the wheel, followed by Black Friday.

“As we head into December, motorists shouldn’t let the stress of the season negatively impact
the way they drive,” said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analyst at GasBuddy. “Not only is aggressive driving dangerous but it is the quickest way to lower gas mileage by as much as 40%. The holidays should be the most wonderful time of the year, not the most costly at the pump.”

Methodology

The findings were compiled using data from GasBuddy’s Drives feature that provides motorists
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 is the only smartphone app connecting drivers with their Perfect Pit Stop.