It’s a familiar stereotype. The driver in the luxury SUV weaving through traffic, leaning on the horn, and acting like every lane is their private driveway. According to new analysis from AAA, that image isn’t just a cliché…it’s statistically grounded.

The organization’s survey found a clear pattern: motorists with higher household incomes are significantly more likely to engage in aggressive driving behaviors than those earning less.

Make $100,000 or more? You’re more likely to display road rage while driving

AAA defined “high levels of engagement” across multiple types of aggressive driving, from “trying to get ahead” and “putting others at risk” to “controlling other driver behavior” and “provoking reactions.”

Across the board, a greater proportion of drivers earning more than $100,000 a year showed high engagement in those categories.

The one exception was actually violent behavior

Wealthier drivers were less likely to participate in things like threatening or attacking other drivers.

That’s cold comfort if you’re stuck next to one at a red light while they rev the engine like they’re on a Le Mans starting grid.

The AAA study complicates some assumptions about who’s most likely to rage on the road

Age mattered: younger drivers were far more aggressive than older ones.

Gender mattered too: men outpaced women in nearly every aggression category.

Parents, interestingly, showed heightened aggression in “provoking interaction” and “expressing displeasure.” Perhaps proof that wrangling toddlers isn’t great anger management training.

AAA also looked at lifestyle and attitude factors

Drivers who placed less value on good manners were far more likely to drive aggressively. 

Frequent drivers, those who had been ticketed recently, or those involved in a crash in the past two years all showed higher aggression levels.

People who believed police enforce traffic laws too strictly were more likely to drive aggressively, too. It’s a sort of “you can’t stop me” attitude that clearly does them no favors.

Vehicle choice and “personal connection” to their car mattered as well

EV owners showed higher engagement in several aggression themes than those driving gas-powered cars.

People who decorate their cars with bumper stickers or name their vehicles were also more aggressive. As were those who see their car as part of their identity or a “sanctuary” from the outside world.

Even geography played a role

According to the survey results, drivers in the South were more aggressive overall than those in other regions, and rural drivers tended to be calmer than their suburban and urban counterparts. 

By the way, those who carried a gun in their vehicle were more likely to display aggressive driving behaviors across the board.

The AAA survey shows that road rage isn’t just a personality flaw

It’s tied to wealth, lifestyle, culture, and even how we think about our cars. Money may buy horsepower and heated seats, but it seems it can also contribute to a shorter fuse behind the wheel.