The Worst Drivers By State

High rates of fatal car accidents are common in U.S. states with the worst drivers. These accidents usually involve drunk driving, speeding, reckless driving, and violating traffic laws.

South Carolina and Mississippi are among the states with the worst drivers in America. With advanced vehicle technology and better driver education, there can be a reduction in the risk of these accidents and the adoption of safe driving habits in these states with bad drivers.

It’s easy to identify the worst drivers by their driving behavior — flying down the highway at 100mph, swerving in and out of lanes, lack of attention to the presence of cyclists and pedestrians, and erratic driving down the road. These drivers pose a danger to everyone on the road. This article will look at the states with the worst drivers. Keep reading to know where your state stands.

Let’s dive in.

7 States With the Worst Drivers

Across America, here are the 7 States with the worst drivers. You’ll see some of the regular suspects that have constantly been appearing on this list. However, certain states might come as a surprise to you.

According to a study, here are the categories of the five bad driving habits:

• Speeding
• Drunk driving
• Violation of traffic laws
• Distracted driving
• Car accident death rate

The above-listed categories contributed to the ranking of each of the worst states. In addition, we also considered the following metrics to rank the states with the worst drivers in the U.S.

• The number of arrested DUI per 100,000 drivers.
• Traffic fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles driven
• Percentage of uninsured drivers

1. California

California comes in as our number one state with the worst drivers. It’s true that the Golden State has one of the best weather conditions in the United States and reasonably ranks well in the aspect of safety, however, this state ranks seventh for the worst quality of driving and occupies number one as the overall most expensive state for drivers in the United States.

California ranked the eighth most costly state in gas prices and vehicle repairs and most expensive state for car insurance. Furthermore, California has more DUI arrests than any other state, with 120,262 in 2019.

2. Kentucky

Kentucky ranks number two as the state with the worst drivers. This state may not be the worst in every category, but overall, it has the worst score. In 2019, this state had 15,570 DUI arrests and 632 traffic deaths. 13.9% of drivers in Kentucky were uninsured, which isn’t the highest percentage among the states with the worst traffic drivers.

3. Oklahoma

With a total of 9,053 DUI arrests, Oklahoma manages to rank 23rd per capita in this category. The Sooner State has 13.4% uninsured drivers and ranks among the lowest percentage this category. Although Oklahoma doesn’t have a very high figure for DUI arrests and uninsured driver percentage, the number of traffic fatalities it had in 2019 (649 in total) lowered its rank to among the worst.

4. Mississippi

Mississippi ranks as the fourth worst state. In 2019, Mississippi ranked moderately for DUI arrests, with 5,269 DUI arrests. However, the Magnolia State had 643 traffic fatalities, placing it in second place for traffic fatalities rates per capita. If you get involved in a car crash, chances are high that your uninsured motorist coverage will set in — grossly, 29.4% of drivers in Mississippi are uninsured.

5. New Mexico

In 2019, New Mexico had 4190 DUI arrests, ranking it the 32nd highest per capita. However, the figures for traffic death rate and uninsured drivers in this Enchantment Land were anything but enchanting. In New Mexico, there were 424 traffic fatalities, and more than 21% of drivers were uninsured in 2019.

6. South Carolina

South Carolina is the only state among the seven worst states, with over more than 90% of drivers insured. Still, South Carolina has the most fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles driven, with 1.83.

7. Arizona

In this Arizona, reckless driving and death rate were the two worst categories for drivers. Considering reckless driving, the death rate per capita for pedestrians was 2.91, and that of cyclists was 0.41. Arizona’s overall car accident death rate was 1.4 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles driven at the time of our findings.

These seven states with the highest proportion of motorists with at-fault incidents record earned them their place in the state rankings of the worst drivers in the U.S. Traffic fatality rates by state are data sources from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s most recent Fatality Facts report.

Best Drivers by State

A study found that the Midwest and Northeast regions are among the best places for drivers.

1. Ohio

From our Research, Ohio ranks as the best state for drivers. Although Buckeye State ranks middle of the road in terms of driving quality and has an average percentage of traffic fatalities, it is one of the cheapest places for drivers.

Ohio has the second cheapest average yearly full coverage car insurance premiums in the United States and is the second cheapest for automotive repairs. Furthermore, drivers in Ohio are more likely to use their seat belts when driving compared to residents in other states.

2. Massachusetts

In 2019, Massachusetts had 334 traffic deaths, ranking the top spot as the best per capita. There were 9,426 DUI arrests, not the least, but among the top 10 per capita in this category. Uninsured drivers were 3.5% in 2019, a major improvement from the figure in 2017 (6.2%).

3. Iowa

Iowa ranks average in terms of weather and safety; however, it ranks well in driving quality and is among the cheapest states for drivers, making it among the best States for drivers overall. On average, full coverage car insurance cost in Iowa is $467 less than the national average annually. Furthermore, drivers in Iowa spend $356.57 yearly on car repairs, which is below the average cost of yearly car repairs in 45 other American states.

4. Connecticut

Connecticut ranks above average for DUI arrests and among the best for insured driver percentage and traffic fatalities in 2019. Connecticut had 7,577 DUI arrests, ranking 31st in terms of the number of arrests per capita. Traffic fatalities were 249, and the percentage of uninsured drivers was 6.3% in 2019, an improvement from 9.4% in 2017.

Which state has the most road rage?

According to a recent Forbes advisor report, Utah has the worst road rage in America. About 5,000 motorists were surveyed for the report nationwide, with a minimum of 100 responders from each state. The survey discovered that 76% of participants from Utah were once in a situation where another confrontational driver blew the horn at them, and 58% of the respondents from Utah said they got offensive reactions from other drivers.

Are drivers becoming more aggressive?

Road rage and Aggressive driver behavior are becoming rampant and increasingly dangerous. According to new research, 82% of motorists in the United States admit to driving aggressively or having road rage at least once in the last year.

Final thoughts

Regardless of whether the state you’re in has the worst or best drivers, it would help if you still got car insurance. And supposing you’re in a state with a higher rate of accidents, uninsured drivers, and DUI arrests, you’ll want to choose above the state’s minimum requirements.

Most importantly, you must purchase auto insurance from a reputable car insurance company that will help you save money and also protect you and your car if anything bad happens. In addition, you should also compare car insurance costs from multiple providers.