Americans spend about 11 hours on average in their cars each week, according to 2019 research released by Ketchum, the global communications consultancy. Of course, some people spend much more time than that in the driver's seat. (We're looking at you, work commuters and parent taxis.) With so many hours behind the wheel, it's a safe bet that not every driver on the road at a given time is going to be calm, cool and collected. In fact, the opposite is likely to be true: People who share the road are sure to be going through a range of experiences and emotions during their drive. Forbes Advisor recently analyzed drivers in the U.S. to determine where they are most likely to be confrontational. The result? Well, they don't call the American West "wild" for nothing. The slideshow above illustrates the top five states in the U.S. for confrontational drivers. Four out of five the states listed are located in the region of the country historically known for its rough-and-tumble pioneer spirit: The American West. Forbes Advisor measured 10 metrics to determine a 'confrontational driver score' for each state. In the process, researchers learned the following: |

• 85% of drivers surveyed said they've experienced at least one form of road rage;
• Roughly one in five drivers surveyed said they witnessed others lose control of their vehicles because of road rage;
• 22% report seeing someone cause an accident due to road rage; and
• 23% know of someone in their state who was injured in a road rage incident.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines road rage as, "angry and violent behaviors at the extreme of the 'aggressive driving' continuum." And aggressive driving is described as, "The operation of a motor vehicle in a manner that endangers or is likely to endanger persons or property." The agency adds: "An important distinction is that aggressive driving is a traffic violation, while road rage, aside from the yelling and gesticulating, is a criminal offense." Here are some tips from the NHTSA for dealing with dangerously aggressive drivers: |

• If you are in the left lane and someone wants to pass, move over and let them by.
• Give speeding drivers plenty of space. Speeding drivers may lose control of their vehicle more easily.
• Adjust your driving accordingly. Speeding is tied to aggressive driving. If a speeding driver is tailgating you or trying to engage you in risky driving, use judgment to safely steer your vehicle out of the way.
• Call the police if you believe a driver is following you or harassing you.

See also: |

• Look out: There are 160 million angry drivers on the road
• Scary drivers! What you need to know about road rage
• Drivers behind at-fault accidents like these 5 car brands