NEWS AND OPINION:
Driving has become a greater challenge these days. A unique study tells all.
“Violent road rage incidents are on the rise nationwide,” reports a Forbes study of this disturbing trend, which was based on a survey of those behind the wheel.
“In 2022, 413 people were injured in road rage shootings, a 135% increase from 2018. In some states, confrontational driving tends to be more common, putting drivers at greater risk when they get behind the wheel,” the news organization said.
The survey queried 10,000 licensed U.S. drivers from all 50 states, framing their questions around nine key metrics of driving experiences.
Those metrics included being forced off the road, yelled at, cursed at, cut off, tailgated, insulted, honked at, blocked from changing lanes, or bombarded with rude or offensive gestures.
Confrontations occur most frequently on city streets, the survey said — followed by encounters on freeways or highways, parking lots, intersections and rural roads.
And what states are home to the most confrontational drivers?
According to the research, Arizona ranked in first place, followed by Rhode Island, West Virginia, Virginia and Oklahoma
Alternatively. Delaware was ranked No. 1 as the state with the “most polite drivers,” the study said. It was followed by Idaho, South Dakota, Louisiana and Wyoming to round out the top five.
The survey was collected from July 7 to Aug. 3 and released Monday.
BACK TO NEW HAMPSHIRE
New Hampshire Republicans are already revving up their state’s “First in the Nation” primary status. Indeed, that designation is a source of pride among most Granite State voters.
The New Hampshire Republican Party, in fact, is already planning a two-day “First in the Nation Leadership Summit,” according to Chris Ager, chairman of the organization.
“I’m proud to announce the First In the Nation Leadership Summit. The summit will feature presidential candidates, elected officials, and Republican thought leaders from across the nation joining together to discuss conservative solutions to today’s issues,” Mr. Ager said in a written invitation shared with Inside the Beltway.
Among other many other things, a “gourmet box lunch and Saturday breakfast” is included in the big doings, and there will be a “VIP Suite” available to those who might need one, according to the invitation.
Meanwhile, presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy will be a steady presence in the state in the coming days. He’ll appear at 10 events during Labor Day weekend, from Friday through Monday. Those events include appearances at four town-hall meetings, two county fairs, one parade, one breakfast in a local barn, one house party and one church service.
GETTING FEISTY
One political organization has advice for another.
MoveOn Political Action — associated with MoveOn.org, a progressive advocacy organization founded in 1998 — has a message for No Labels, a centrist political organization founded in 2010 by former vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman.
No Labels has long emphasized bipartisanship and the importance of a future presidential “unity ticket,” and includes Republicans, independents and Democrats on its membership list.
MoveOn wants No Labels to disavow former President Donald Trump.
“If No Labels cares so deeply about preserving democracy and protecting our freedom to vote, then why won’t they speak up about any of Trump’s arrests or his role in the deadly insurrection?” said MoveOn Political Action executive director Rahna Epting, in a written statement shared with Inside the Beltway.
“No Labels talks a big game about democracy and unity, but the truth of it is that the group and its MAGA extremist donors are paving the path for Donald Trump to take back the White House and destroy our most sacred institutions,” Ms. Epting noted.
Curious about all this? Find these groups at NoLabels.org and MoveOn.org.
A GOVERNOR’S ADVICE
Hurricane Idalia is projected to strike Florida in the next 48 hours. Gov. Ron DeSantis has set emergency protocols in place, and here are some details.
“These are done on a county-by-county basis, pretty much all of the Gulf Coast, from the Tampa Bay up until you get into North Florida. On the coastal areas, barrier islands and places that are very low lying on the coast — they are either under mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders. And the reason for that is just the storm surge. When you have storms of this nature, what we say is you run from the water and you hide from the wind,” Mr. DeSantis told Fox News on Tuesday.
“If you get away from those coastal areas, you get to higher ground. In Florida, most structures that you would be in are going to be able to withstand a hurricane as long as you don’t have three or four feet of storm surge,” he continued.
“I think it’s important to point out that when someone says to evacuate, you don’t need to get in your car and drive 200 miles to outrun the storm. You can evacuate within your own county. Just find the higher ground, find a shelter, a hotel, a friend’s house, that is not in danger of the storm surge. And that is sufficient. And I think people understand that. It makes it easier. It’s less stressful. You ride out the storm in a safe place, and then you go back and inspect your property right after,” Mr. DeSantis noted.
Those readers seeking current official information can find it at Floridadisaster.org, a site maintained by the state.
POLL DU JOUR
• 23% of registered U.S. voters say presidential primary debates are “very important” in helping them decide who their political party’s presidential nominee should be; 24% of those who voted for Donald Trump in 2020 and 29% of those who voted for Joe Biden agree.
• 35% overall say presidential primary debates are “somewhat important” in helping them decide whom to back; 43% of Trump voters and 35% of Biden voters agree.
• 17% overall say debates are “not very important” in the process; 18% of Trump voters and 20% of Biden voters agree.
• 12% overall say debates are “not at all important” in the process; 11% of Trump voters and 10% of Biden voters agree.
• 13% overall are “not sure” about the issue; 4% of Trump voters and 7% of Biden voters agree.
SOURCE: An Economist/YouGov poll of 1,303 registered U.S. voters conducted Aug. 19-22.
• Contact Jennifer Harper at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.