These 5 N.J. cities have the most entitled drivers, survey finds
A recent survey of more than 3,000 motorists by a New Jersey-based criminal defense firm identified Elizabeth, Jersey City, Paterson, Newark and Trenton as cities where drivers are most likely to bend or ignore traffic laws.
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From double-parking to last-second lane changes, drivers in five New Jersey cities have been ranked the state’s most entitled behind the wheel, with Jersey City taking the top spot.
A recent survey of more than 3,000 motorists by a New Jersey-based criminal defense firm identified Elizabeth, Jersey City, Paterson, Newark and Trenton as cities where drivers are most likely to bend or ignore traffic laws when following them "becomes inconvenient."
The survey, conducted by Brett Rosen Law, also revealed that 15% of drivers nationwide have deliberately used their vehicles to intimidate someone on the road and at least one in four drivers had an experience in which road rage escalated beyond the typical gestures.
"Some drivers seem to treat road rules less as rules and more as suggestions, whether that means double-parking 'for five minutes,' using the shoulder to skip traffic, blocking a bike lane, cutting across a turn-only lane, making an illegal U-turn, or stopping wherever their hazard lights happen to be flashing," the law firm said.
Jersey City earned the top spot on the list, with drivers taking liberties when it comes to making "quick stops" in congested areas.
"Double-parking or blocking a bike lane may seem harmless if the driver expects to be gone in a minute. For the people behind them, it means braking, waiting or changing course. The rule is clear. The driver just decided it could wait," the firm said in a press release.
In Newark, which holds the No. 3 spot, abrupt lane changes on highways such as I-78 near Newark Liberty International Airport and double-parking are some of the ways drivers in the Brick City take road rules with a grain of salt.
Farther south, in Trenton, drivers tend to take shortcuts in an effort to navigate the roadways in the state capital.
"The time one driver saves usually comes out of someone else's," Brett Rosen Law said. "It's routine rule-bending, and it adds up."
Holding the fourth spot is Paterson, where crashes and incidents on I-80 are fairly commonplace. The survey states that drivers tend to make illegal maneuvers rather than choose legal options, which can seem practical but actually just "hands the inconvenience to someone else."
In Union County, Elizabeth rounds out the list of cities with the most entitled drivers.
"Traffic around Elizabeth is about much more than local trips, and the pressure brings out drivers who ignore the rules," the survey states.
People forced to make adjustments or cut across lanes of traffic after missing turns add to the chaos.
The poll also found that people take more chances when they're running late, such as speeding or accelerating through a changing light.
"Most drivers can give you a detailed account of everyone else's bad habits. It's harder to recognize the moment we start making excuses for our own," said Brett Rosen, partner at the law firm. "Being late, missing an exit, or struggling to find parking can be frustrating, but it doesn't make another person's safety less important."
