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road rage

The US States With The Worst Drivers, Ranked

From the number of drunk drivers to how many drivers looked at a phone per mile, these are the states with the most reckless people on the road.

11 months ago · 414.4k reads ·

Some bad driving can be relatively harmless, but other reckless behavior behind the wheel can cause serious, often fatal, accidents. An estimated 46,000 people died in preventable car crashes on US roads in 2022 — and according to this study, some states are home to more dangerous drivers than others.

Forbes Advisor compared all 50 states and Washington DC — on factors ranging from the number of drunk drivers to how many drivers looked at a phone per mile — to see where in the US has the worst drivers.

Key Findings:

According to the study, the worst drivers in the country are found in Texas, while Washington DC, is home to the best.
Of the top ten states with the most dangerous drivers, half are in the South — Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kentucky and South Carolina.
When it comes to the ten states with the best drivers, all but three are in the East Coast area — Washington, DC; Vermont; Massachusetts; Connecticut; New Hampshire; New York and Rhode Island.
Montana has the highest number of drunk drivers involved in fatal car accidents (19.01 for every 100,000 licensed drivers), while New Mexico sees the highest number of fatal car crashes involving a distracted driver (9.54 accidents per 100,000 licensed drivers).

More data on bad drivers:

Via Forbes Advisor.

[Image credit: DaleHulm]

Comments

Doggo 4 months ago

Interesting that all were red states in the 2020 elections except for New Mexico. Correlation?
1. Jeremy Geltman 4 months ago
  
  I was going to say the same thing. It's almost like having empathy towards other humans means you're a nicer driver. Weird.
Mark Ramsey 9 months ago

Well I live in Summerville SC and if you measure worst by insurance cost SC has to be one of the worst I have no tickets an my insurance on two vehicles is almost 3k a year
James Daffron 11 months ago

Your information is correct, but your results are mislabeled. You have identified accidents & accident causes. You have not identified the States with the Worst Drivers.

The worst drivers are those who drive up the Blood Pressure of other drivers, increase the wear on the brakes of cars on other driver's cars, and cause and cause other drivers into accidents who have not been paying close attention because they are on the phone or have been drinking. In more than 60 years of driving in the Washington D.C., Metro area, I have witnessed a complete collapse in driver courtesy in 90% of drivers. Maryland Drivers are the worst. I have driven in LA and have no complaints - by comparison. I drove in Boston, once. The Drivers in Boston are crazy. Atlanta is bad. My sister warned me about Miami. It was nothing, compared to Metro D. C.

Everyone complains about their local situation. Take from someone who drove in the Naion's Capital with people from around the world. I have driven in many major cities in this country; none Have as many rude drivers who cut you off, tailgate, blow their horns, are impatient, etc.
Wolf 11 months ago

It is no surprise to us here in Colorado that Texas has the worst drivers. Every summer and during some holiday periods, Texans come roaring through our area, speeding, tailgating, illegally passing, and just generally rude and reckless driving. We wish they'd just stay in their own state.
Skip Crane 11 months ago

Florida has the worst drivers, we have ALL states coming here now. The left lane is the travel lane here causing drivers to not only pass on the right regularly but also weave through traffic much like the Boston area, the worst for this behavior. Additionally, the police don not stop regularly for traffic infractions except for suspected vehicles ( carrying drugs which this sate is GREAT at find these. We have great freedoms and lower cost of living than most major cities so all those drivers are coming here. Road rage is up and alot are packing...so be careful.
Sharon Hart 11 months ago

Whoever calculated these results has never driven anywhere close to DC. It is a true nightmare.
charleen heath 11 months ago

I live in Utah and belive our drivers are far worse than You have depicted
george craig 11 months ago

I do not like this style map. Misplaced states are more difficult to locate. The color differences would work as well if states appeared where expected on the map and access to information would be better,
JJ FORTH 11 months ago

Using data for fatal crashes is highly misleading in terms of deeming "good" or "bad" drivers. In Eastern MA, the near total lack of respect for the rules rarely leads to fatalities due to the density of population. A crash at 20-40 miles per hour on a crowded suburban street or interstate won't lead to a fatality, whereas a crash at 35-65 miles per hour on wide, relatively uncrowded streets or interstates may.

A drive of 2.5 miles may take 25-30 minutes or more of commute time in Eastern MA.

Going the speed limit on single lane streets with double yellow lines, I have been passed by cars racing to the next red light. I have passed lines of moving cars in which the driver of every single car has a mobile phone held in their hand at which they are staring intently. People constantly move between lanes without the use of turn signals; block every intersection, backing up cars so that it takes 3 signal changes to get 2-3 cars through; often, up to five cars will go through an intersection after their light has turned red. I could go on and on regarding the so-called "good" driving habits witnessed many times daily in a 2.5 mile commute, none of which would likely cause a fatality due to an accident but are nonetheless symptoms of horribly dangerous driving behaviors. Our drivers are not referred to as "Massholes" in surrounding states for no reason.
Conor Cook 11 months ago

I started out agreeing that this was misleading, but then I got to thinking about how annoying aggressive driving is, partly because the drivers so rarely seem to suffer consequences. Sleepy, drunk, and distracted drivers are the ones who actually cause severe accidents, the one's you hear about in the news or drive past after the fact. Even in Texas, drunk driving only accounts for 17.24/100,000 accidents, so you are unlikely to see it happen. Nevertheless, that is the actual bad driving that leads to fatalities, not someone stupidly ignoring their blinker or the speed limit (in most cases).

I think the article is right, but it's clear that most of us experience bad driving as a function of rudeness or disobedience, not as drunkeness, sleepiness, or distraction (maybe more and more that last one, though...).
stephane peltier 11 months ago

As a drover who clocked over 3.5 million miles, trucking, chauffeuring, for business, in 48 states plus 5 Canadian provinces, I have witnessed more distracted drivers with cell-phones in hand, EVEN COPS, than mentioned here. Cops always drive 15 to 20 miles per hour over the limit, in the left lane, even in the states with laws requiring to get out of the passing lane. Most do not use their turn signal. I saw people with a phone held flat in the left hand, putting their 2 inches lash es on, eating their fried food with another, and steer with their breasts on the arms of the steering wheel. Those rear endings are called Insurance Seminars...
Drivers most aware are in NY, DC, SF, LA. Worst drivers: same.
Tom Owens 11 months ago

In Savannah Georgia, blinkers are only for esthetics, as drivers seldom use them.
Jeremy Schellpeper 11 months ago

Poor metric used. I have been to and driven in all the states mentioned for best vs. worst drivers, and the some of these claims are absolutely false.

Drunk and distracted driving is definitely a problem, but so is aggressive driving, and driving without the intent to follow state laws for driving.

Washington DC is by FAR the WORST place to drive, aggressive drivers, heavy traffic, and diplomats without regard for safety top the list. Add in poor infrastructure and you have the worst place to drive in the US.

Be mindful of what data you trust; statistics are used to cover up problems as often as trying to highlight them.
Edward Greenberg 11 months ago

The article makes not the slightest reference to the list of bad driving "techniques" employed by region. I have driven about 1,000,000 miles in 46 states.

Fl - don't look, change lane, then signal to pass after you have passed'
NY/NJ - lane markers are to be ignored, tailgating is necessary, do not signal lane changes
LA/SD - its a jungle, anything goes, do what you want no thinking necessary.

Falling asleep at the wheel is common in midwest/farmbelt states with long straight Interstates and equivalents. NOLA and TX falling asleep is due to alcohol.

In Las Vegas...on the strip you are at the mercy of cabbies who hustle and spare no time and obey no law which will delay the trip.

Mass. drivers are horrible in all respects and no amout of data can accurately reflect the hazards caused by other drivers.

Look for regions with Interstates w/ 70 mph limits, no big or even medium sized cities on your route, avoid ALL rental vehicles. Never draft behind a semi and ASSUME that everyone else on the road is a moron. Most are.
paul McClure 11 months ago

This was about bad drivers dumbass.
paul McClure 11 months ago

Get your dates some place else
Rinn or Karen Wright 11 months ago

I guess you've never lived in L.A. or even the Bay area at rush hour which starts about 3 (after lunch rush) and ends about 6pm.
Mari Turci 11 months ago

Florida though, should be there competing with Texas.
Mari Turci 11 months ago

I live in Texas. so yep! lot of angry drivers.
Stephen Hansen 11 months ago

These are based on traffic citations and law-enforcement results. So it is not about the bad drivers. It is also about laws being enforced. Some states, such as Florida, completely stopped enforcing traffic laws, years ago. When there is no enforcement, most instances of drunk driving and distracted driving are not recorded.
Beckie King 11 months ago

Bruhaha
Kimberly Oben 11 months ago

Washington D.C. is not a state.
1. Trina Blake 11 months ago
  
  But DC should be. It is virtually impossible for me to complete (even federal) forms with the drop down menus for place of residence or birth. I can key in my birthplace, Wash DC, but then the drop down menu happens and I am dead in the water. Have to call the federal agency so they can "forc e" my application/form through.
Craig Parker 11 months ago

I absolutely CAN NOT believe that Mass is anywhere near the top of a "good driver," list. Come to Maine and watch them this summer...
Boat Butler 11 months ago

This is a horrible picture.
Kathleen Morris 11 months ago

Right??? Like "illegals" as you say have enough money to buy a car. Have you looked at used car prices lately? Once again "us versus them"- but you fail to realize that we are all us-humans.
1. Katt Rambo 11 months ago
  
  I live near to the border. Actually, it is illegals doing it. They don't buy the car, they steal the car. I have had two cars stolen. One was used for trafficking. They found it 2 years later broke down in Mexico with all sorts of nutty stuff in it. The other one was found about 6 years later in Tucson. It was found because the cops pulled them over for... Drunk driving and running into a light pole.
  
  I get some of you don't live down here, so you get all politically correct with everything.... You should stop doing that. 4 armed illegals broke into our home and tried to take my 14 year old daughter. Come down here and visit and get a reality check. The media is not reporting this info to you. We find kids raped in bushes, rape trees, women (and girls) being forced in to prostitution to pay back the cartel. You can go to the grocery store and a 13 year old girl might just proposition you. They have to pay the cartel back because the open border incentivized them to come.
  
  If you really care about these migrants, stop being PC and start seeing how they are being exploited by the Cartel and Political operatives. Open borders are NOT compassionate. It's disgusting. We are on the pathway of having more migrants die this year than ANY other year in our history. It is disgusting that our leadership is allowing this to happen to migrants and to citizens. This is far worse than "Kids in Cages," although that continues to happen in this administration also, but now everyone seems OK with it. You shouldn't be OK with this... If you do not see it, then it is YOU who are putting your politics before humanity. The people seeing what is happening, know that it is the open border that is empowering the cartel and political operatives to harm the migrants, not the people who are simply just talking about it. If the Biden Admin wants to let this destruction continue, it will only get worse for everyone involved. Since the media won't report it (which is frustrating), I ask that you people who have no clue, come down here... or at least listen to our border patrol (the experts) who say the border is falling apart because this administration won't let them manage it properly.
  1. Jeremy Geltman 4 months ago
    
    You're worldview is sad and skewed by right-wing pro-russia pro-conspiracy propaganda. There's not an "open border." You don't actually know if "illegals" as you call them are stealing cars, only that your car was stolen. I also live in a border city, but don't see what you're talking about. I guess the media is keeping me from seeing things with my own eyes?
    1. Charley Horse 3 months ago
      
      The lack of empathy for the person's experiences, combined with the ad-hominem are quite telling. Tell me more about your moral high-ground!
tombogan03884 11 months ago

Not even close. Massachusetts among the safest ? You're on crack.
1. Roxi Davis 11 months ago
  
  Couldn't agree more. Worked for a car insurance company. I saw what went on in different states. Massachusetts is nuts!
2. itsjimbo 11 months ago
  
  Yes, in Mass they're actually hiding all the cars and bodies from all of those fatal crashes. That's why their number if missing cars and missing persons are so highly correlated.
Alice Maguire 11 months ago

States closest to the open border have the most drunken illegals on the road.
1. Jeremy Geltman 4 months ago
  
  Also people like you have a pervasive case of confirmation bias. I bet most of the bozos with trump flags in pick up trucks are worse drivers than the "illegals" that you hate so much.
2. Katt Rambo 11 months ago
  
  You are correct. I live near the border. I have had two cars stolen. They do not worry about buying them, they just take whatever they want. They can't understand our signs or our laws (obviously) so they crash... sometimes they get high on the drugs they traffic, and then they crash. The people who don't live down here have no clue. Kathleen, up above thinks the only way they get cars is to "buy" them... lol. That right there tells you she is not living in reality when it comes to knowing what is happening down here... but I don't blame her... the media don't keep her educated, which is done on purpose it seems. Our media is allowing our own people to destroy our country because they have become a political arm... anyway, you are correct on your comment... and I say that as someone who knows, who has lived it.
Bo Thompson 11 months ago

The US States With The Worst Drivers is misleading. Maybe most dangerous would’ve been a better title. I’m from Oklahoma/Texas, lived in DC for 12 years, and drive in most of the East Coast cities listed. I don’t think but actually know the two worst states for traffic, per capita, have the absolutely worst disciplined drivers in the U.S. and it’s hard to cause a fatal accident when you can’t reach speeds in excess of 20 MPH. Whoever titled this article, good job. You’re lead me to believe I was going to read an actual report about the worst drivers in the U.S. Yet, I didn’t. Don’t miss understand, I believe your data to be accurate for the categories listed. Even without knowing what the four unlisted categories are. How about doing an article on states with least disciplined drivers. How they don’t understand what the left lane is intended for or how the signal indicator is an unused accessory or how drivers try to give tune up’s to the driver in front of them. Only the trailing driver isn’t a mechanic and access to the engine is normally gained by raising the hood and not through the exhaust system. I wonder what order your list would be in if the states were ranked by number of driving violations and all vehicle involved accidents. Maybe one of your data points should have included this information. Another good data point for worst drivers should’ve been which states have the most revoked or suspended drivers. Oh well, another waisted 20 minutes on fake reporting more or less. I suppose I had a choice. So, that’s on me. Thanks for the click bait.
1. Charley Horse 3 months ago
  
  It's a propaganda piece.
2. itsjimbo 11 months ago
  
  Huh? The 6 different categories are 6 different ways to kill someone with your car. All 6 ways are described in the report. Yes, killing someone with your car because you were operating in an unsafe manner makes you a bad driver.
Fred B 11 months ago

I'm not suprised by Idaho's result. They drive like they vote.
Richard B 11 months ago

Why is Wisconsin east of Illinois? Because Illinois drivers are so bad because they don't know where they are going?