St. Louis drivers are some of the most courteous in the country, at least according to this year’s “In the Driver’s Seat,” an annual survey conducted by Auto Vantage.

According to the survey, the cities with the most courteous drivers are Minneapolis, Nashville, St. Louis, Seattle and Atlanta. Although St. Louis consistently tops the most courteous drivers list, anyone out driving knows that road rage is still prevalent in the city.

In September, a North St. Louis motorcyclist was shot after a minor accident a few blocks away from the scene of the crime.

In another incident in the St. Louis area, two men exchanged insults at a stoplight on Main Street in St. Charles after leaving a bar. One of the cars then chased the other onto Interstate 70 from St. Charles into Maryland Heights before broadsiding the car.

Although inexperienced drivers, studies show that teens regularly participate in aggressive driving. An alarming survey conducted by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia revealed that 55 percent of teens had witnessed road rage in their peers. In January a St. Louis teen was shot and almost run off the road after changing lanes and angering another driver.

“I try my best to avoid road rage as much as possible because I never know what the other driver might do,” senior James Benson said.

Aggressive driving accounts for more than half of all traffic fatalities. According to a study conducted by the AAA Foundation between 2003 and 2007, speeding is a factor in one-third of all fatal crashes. More shocking is that other kinds of aggressive driving contribute to another third of fatal accidents.

Road rage includes several types of aggressive driving behaviors such as cutting off other drivers, weaving in and out of traffic and excessive honking. If a road rager is stopped by the police, they are most likely to receive a fine for careless driving.

“They are selfish, power hungry, angry and vindictive. The average road rage offender has done so at least 27 times,” psychologist Ava Cadell said.

“I’ve never understood why some drivers are so aggressive. As hard as it is, it’s important to remain calm while behind the wheel,” senior Mike Plassmeyer said.