We have all had experiences with bad drivers. However, there are a few states in the US that are building a reputation when it comes to bad driving. A study by SmartAsset gathered data on each US state to come up with a list of the states with the worst drivers. This data included things like the number of drivers with insurance, number of DUIs per driver, as well as the average number of road-related deaths per mile. The following states were ranked at the top.
1- Mississippi
Mississippi took the first spot as the state with the worst drivers. According to the data, Mississippi had the second most deaths per 100 million miles driven at 1.7. The rate of insurance for drivers was very low with the number of ticket searches very high.
2 - Tennessee
Tennessee is yet another southern state making it into the list. Rates of insurance among drivers in Tennessee were found to be very low. The rates of DUIs were also very high with the number of deaths per 100 million miles traveled also high compared to other states.
3 - California
The SmartAsset study noted that the Golden State has some of the largest metro areas in the US and this could explain why it shot up at third place. Driving in the big cities is not that easy. In addition to this, the state ranked amongst the top 15 states when it comes to DUIs and the number of uninsured drivers. The only good news about this state is that fatalities on the road were relatively less compared to other states.
4 - Missouri
The state of Missouri recorded one of the highest numbers of tickets searches. The number of drivers who had forgone their insurance was also quite high. The death rate for 100 million miles driven was also high at 1.28 people.
5 - New Mexico
New Mexico had one of the lowest numbers of drivers with insurance. The rate of DUIs was also high with the state ranking 11th overall. The fatality rate for 100 million miles driven ranked New Mexico 12th.
6 - Texas
Texas tied with New Mexico for the fifth place. The lone star state had a huge share of drivers who didn’t mind breaking traffic laws. Speeding ticket searches were ranked 9th across the country. The average rate of fatalities for 100 million miles driven is also relatively high at 1.38.
7 - Alabama
Alabama too does seem to have drivers who keep breaking the law. Searches for speeding tickets were ranked 4th. The fatality rate is also high standing at 1.5 people per 100 million miles driven, the 8th highest ranking across the country.
8 - Florida
The biggest problem with Florida is the high number of uninsured drivers. This means that an accident there can be very costly. Fatality rates for every 100 million miles driven stood at 1.47. However, this rate has significantly fallen compared to previous years.
9 - Alaska
Alaska and Arizona are both tied at 9th on the list. Alaska recorded one of the highest DUI rates with fatalities over 100 million miles driven also quite high. Arizona too had one of the worst fatality rates but the number is coming down.
