Seattle among top cities for road rage in new study

SEATTLE — We've all been there: sitting in the car, steaming with anger at the other drivers around us. And a new study now shows just where and when we tend to get road rage, or at least where and when we complain about it online.

Seattle ranked number 12 on the list of cities that felt the most #RoadRage. Washington state ranked number 10 in a state analysis.

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Website Auto Insurance Center took a look at 65,535 Instagram posts with the hashtag #RoadRage. As for location, Los Angeles took the top spot among U.S. cities, with New York coming in second.

The study analyzed posts from June 2013 through April 2016.

Data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration shows the number of fatal accidents caused by road rage has risen dramatically since 2004.

The study also analyzed times of day that are worst for drivers susceptible to road rage. August appears to be the worst month for road rage, according to the data.

From the study: "Sunday sees the fewest posts on average, and the #RoadRage messages increase steadily as the week goes on. Road rage mentions peak on Friday, with nearly 10,500 posts on average, before dropping sharply on Saturday."

Advice from the study conductors at Auto Insurance Center as to how to avoid road rage?

"Allow for extra time in case you run into delays, adjust your schedule to avoid driving through the worst traffic, and listen to music while you drive. If you start to feel angry, it's vital to relax, breathe deeply, and consider taking a break to stretch your legs or sip some water."

Cox Media Group