Survey: Boston drivers are "courageous commuters"

TomTom Inc., a provider of navigation solutions and digital maps based in Concord, recently conducted a survey of American drivers in seven cities to determine each city's "driving personality."

The results are in, and Boston's personality is... the "courageous commuter," which TomTom characterized as "bold drivers who do what it takes to overcome the obstacles and complexities of daily driving." Atlanta and Minneapolis share this personality type.

The survey classified city drivers into two other driving personalities: "diligent drivers," who are "extremely conscientious drivers who consistently stick to the rules of the road" (Los Angeles, Houston); and "neutral navigators," who are "a milder breed of drivers who take a steady, 'middle-of-the-road' approach to driving and typically go with the flow" (Chicago, New York).

The cities were surveyed on a number of typical driving situations including what they do when they are about to miss an exit, at what point they choose to fill their gas tanks, how much time they typically leave before an appointment, and how they react to being tailgated and cut off.

Boston led all cities in percentage of drivers who lean on their horns when someone cuts them off.