Ranked: Which State Has The Worst Drivers

30. South Dakota

Image Source / Reddit.com

So, it would be inaccurate to say that South Dakota has some of the best drivers out of all of the states because, in truth, they are only ranked at 30 out of 50, with states like Vermont being the highest ranked and Minnesota coming a close second, according to Forbes.com.

29. North Carolina

Image Source / Reddit.com

Ranked at #29 we have North Carolina, which has consistently been ranked quite highly in terms of its drivers.  One study by From Road Royalty to Racing Rebels: Gunther VW Delray gathered first-hand experiences from 3,000 drivers who regularly drove across multiple states.  It asked them to rate each state from 1-10, and, you guessed it, North Carolina came out better than the national average.

28. Virginia

Image Source / Reddit.com

Virginia is rated quite highly based on a study from Forbes Advisor which measured the average numbers of fatal accidents in each state, meaning that with these descriptors, they were better than average.  But in another study, Virginia was found to have the rudest drivers in all of the land!

27. Iowa

Image Source / Reddit.com

Iowa is said to have some of the slowest drivers in the country, so this could be why it's ranked quite well in terms of collisions and accidents.  But why might this be?  You see, Iowa is famous for its corn (stay with us for one moment...) and corn is grown on farms.  This means that the state is probably populated with heavy vehicles that can't go very fast...

26. Tennessee

Image Source / Reddit.com

There are rather a few driving stereotypes that we can think of for the state of Tennessee and one of those certainly comes from Knoxville.  Apparently, Knoxville is the "Sprint Car Capital of the World" meaning that you'll probably regularly hear the screech of the wheels when drivers have decided to drag race after meeting at a stop sign.

25. Nevada

Image Source / Reddit.com

According to some sources, each year Nevada seems to rank in a worse position than the last, especially in terms of the occurrences of accidents that end up in death or injury.  A big number of these have been attributed to drivers gambling with alcohol impairment, particularly on the roads surrounding Las Vegas.

24. Wisconsin

Image Source / Reddit.com

If you scroll around local Subreddits, you will no doubt find at least one thread with the sole purpose of either discussing driver stereotypes or complaining about local drivers.  Interestingly, in the Wisconsin Subreddit, users discuss their beef with aggressive drivers and tailgaters.

23. Indiana

Image Source / Reddit.com

There's that old stereotype of everyone owning or at least knowing someone who owns a tractor in Indiana. And to be honest, like Iowa, it's probably down to their huge agricultural sector. When it comes to driving, one study found that despite their decent position in the ranking, apparently, they don't obey many traffic laws...

22. Oregon

Image Source / Reddit.com

One study found that Oregon drivers tend to be the most law-abiding state but despite this, they're not quite in the best half of the nation due to their numbers of fatalities in road traffic accidents compared with other states.  In fact, if measured in terms of this, they rank 21 according to CarInsuranceComparison.com's data.

21. West Virginia

Image Source / wzaz.com

According to some Redditers, West Virginia drivers can be pretty terrifying, especially when they're mixed with Maryland drivers who maintain a constant speed.  There is a stereotype floating around that those in West Virginia seem to pick a lane and go whatever speed they like in it, not yielding to faster traffic.

20. Georgia

Image Source / Reddit.com

There are many accounts of people attempting to drive through Atlanta and becoming the source of someone else's furious road rage and exposing themselves as not local.  In fact, driving the speed limit seems to be rage-inducing in the infamous intense Georgia traffic, you seem to just have to match everyone else's speed.

19. Colorado

Image Source / Reddit.com

In Colorado, you have to be wary of super busy roads, not to mention your fellow drivers, it seems, who are often hazards in themselves.  Particularly because they once scored very low in one study by SmartAsset on their disobedience of traffic laws.  Interestingly the state has a huge frequency of internet search terms that include 'traffic ticket'...

18. Mississippi

Image Source / Reddit.com

In one study carried out by Insurify, Mississippi ranked the second most polite driver in the nation, which certainly means that 'The Hospitality state' lives up to its reputation!  The study not only found that they were probably less likely to tailgate but were also more likely to stick around after being in an accident with their lower-than-average hit-and-run rates.

17. Florida

Image Source / Reddit.com

The study by CarInsuranceComparison.com compiled data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and found that despite its position here which is based on a number of other factors, Florida ranked #2 on deaths caused by careless driving.  Some put this down to the sheer amount of elderly drivers on the road in the state, but this is, of course, speculation.

16. Idaho

Image Source / Reddit.com

Back in 2014, a study by Insure.com asked 2,000 drivers the following question: 'Which state has the rudest drivers?'  Many of these said that they found Idaho to be the worst, with drivers, mainly from Arizona stating that Idahoans just love taking their time!  So whether their answer was a geographical rivalry or not, the jury's still out.

15. Illinois

Image Source / Reddit.com

"Everyone sucks at driving in Illinois" - or at least that's what the common stereotype might lead you to believe.  Some will admit that they might turn right from the left lane, but others will defend their driving, blaming the roads instead, which according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 73% of them are in poor condition.

14. North Dakota

Image Source / Reddit.com

Another state where they're stereotyped to drive tractors everywhere... One Redditor even summed up the state's driving habits as: 'Farmers and elderly people driving the wrong way, some driving the wrong way on purpose, and most people driving over the speed limit'.  One study found that almost half of the fatalities here are down to drunk drivers.

13. Arkansas

Image Source / InterstateSignways.com

Like many southern states, Arkansas has also earned the title of having bad drivers.  But to be honest, anyone who lives anywhere will probably try to claim the badge of having the worst drivers.  In Arkansas, one enormous study reported on inc.com found that they have the fifth worst rate of fatalities per 100 million miles.

12. Missouri

Image Source / Reddit.com

Missouri seems to have been pushed close to the worst of the list purely down to the amounts of recorded accidents that have resulted in death. CarInsuranceComparison.com's study found that these accidents tended to be from failing to obey traffic laws and speeding.

11. Alabama

Image Source / Reddit.com

Alabama has long worn the crown of being stereotyped as having the worst drivers in the nation but according to statistics from Forbes Advisor, the state doesn't even make the top ten!  However, statistically, there is still a one in three chance of being involved in a traffic accident in Alabama.

10. South Carolina

Image Source / Carolana.com

As we enter the top ten, it's important to mention that this ranking is mainly based on the number of fatal traffic accidents with data compiled in a study by Forbes Advisor.  Interestingly five of the top ten states with the worst drivers are in the South as you'll soon find out...

9. Montana

Image Source / Reddit.com

In the study, as previously mentioned, by Forbes Advisor, Montana is the home to the most drunk drivers involved in fatal accidents. But people closer to home will tell you that the driving conditions in Montana can be quite treacherous due to the weather so it's always a good idea to check your app before setting off.

8. Arizona

Image Source / Reddit.com

In another study by Forbes Advisor, Arizona was found to have the most confrontational drivers in all of the nation.  In fact, road rage incidents rose incredibly sharply, about 135%, between 2018 and 2022. So it's probably a good idea to avoid any road ragers IF you can!

7. Wyoming

Image Source / Reddit.com

The drivers in Wyoming have been found by a study by Insurify to be the third rudest in the country, engaging in very obnoxious driving behaviors. Wyoming has some of the highest rates of hit and runs in the US, which is nearly four times higher than the national average.

6. New Mexico

Image Source / Reddit.com

Some people have reported that drivers in Albuquerque are some of the most aggressive drivers they've ever come across and the state itself doesn't have such a good reputation when it comes to driving either, with a slight dusting of snow amplifying their issues tenfold too!

5. Kentucky

Image Source / Reddit.com

It's interesting though, that despite being ranked at #5 as the worst drivers in terms of fatal accidents, one study from Insurify.com found that Kentucky drivers are the most polite in the nation.  This includes barely any recorded instances of tailgating and failure to yield in the study.  Making them the most courteous drivers in the country...

4. Oklahoma

Image Source / Reddit.com

Oklahomans rank at #4 as having the nation's worst drivers when it comes to fatal car accidents.  Forbes Advisor found that Oklahoma reports the seventh-highest number of accidents resulting in death because of a distracted driver.  And no, they don't all drive pickup trucks.

3. Kansas

Image Source / Reddit.com

Kansas comes in close third though with many of its accidents also involving a distracted driver, as well as drivers who disobeyed road signs and traffic wardens.  In fact, many people in the know will tell you that they've experienced some of the worst drivers particularly when it's raining hard!

2. Louisiana

Image Source / Reddit.com

Folks from Louisiana are certainly known to bring their own unique tactics to the road with their improvised (Jazz) lane-changing antics. This might very well be why they've ranked #2. In all seriousness though, one study from Forbes Advisor found that Louisiana has the third-highest number of accidents involving distracted drivers.

1. Texas

Image Source / Reddit.com

According to a number of studies, Texas ranks as the state that has the worst drivers in the country overall.  Back in 2020, Texas was found to have the leading number of fatal crashes with careless driving and speeding as some of the main factors.  But after all, in Texas, if it's paved you can drive on it, right?  At least that's how the driving stereotype goes!