Drivers in New Brunswick have the most road rage -- at least according to a new survey that asked motorists whether they have anger issues behind the wheel.

The survey of about 1,500 Canadians found 61 per cent of New Brunswickers self-identified as having road rage. That compared to 51 per cent in the Prairie provinces, 48 per cent in Ontario, 43 per cent in B.C. and just 30 per cent in Quebec.

In the Atlantic provinces as a whole the number of those who identified as having road rage hovered around 44 per cent. And in Nova Scotia, 58 per cent of those surveyed said they don’t experience road rage at all while driving.

Gary Howard, spokesperson for CAA, said he thinks the results would be much different if the survey had asked New Brunswick drivers how they rated drivers in other provinces.

Instead it asked drivers to self-assess how they react to other New Brunswick drivers –- whether they’ve experienced bad or aggressive driving and if they’ve reacted to it in kind.

"What may be aggressive in our province is just how you normally drive in other provinces,” Howard told CTV Atlantic.

And the term ‘road rage’ can have a wide interpretation, he said.

“It means different things to different people, but typically tailgating, aggressive speeding, even things you think are not aggressive: driving in the left lane when you’re not passing somebody –- that can actually create road rage.”

Tom Howell, a New Brunswick driver, said he agrees drivers in his province are relatively “courteous” on the road, but he does admit to getting a little heated from time to time behind the wheel.

“I try and control it. I don’t holler at people, I holler in my own head but I don’t holler or shake my fist. That’s all you can do,” Howell said.

The survey was commissioned by AutoTrader.ca, with respondents asked questions about their pet peeves in other drivers and which actions, such as texting or tailgating, ticked them off the most.

Across Canada, Canadians were united in their annoyance at those who text or talk while driving, with almost 30 per cent saying it was their biggest pet peeve.

But 15 per cent of those surveyed admitted they are among the culprits, often texting while they drive in spite of the risk.

Among the other findings:

  • 36 per cent said they sometimes talk on the phone while driving
  • Of those who talk and drive, 27 per cent use a handheld device
  • 20 per cent of Canadians hate drivers who tailgate
  • Over 50 per cent of those surveyed admitted to disobeying traffic signs while driving
  • In Quebec, 57 per cent of drivers admitted to disobeying traffic signs while driving

With a report from CTV Atlantic