Nick Fewings / Unsplash
As a born and raised Floridian I can tell you that we have some of the worst drivers in America. This is anecdotal, of course, but there’s also the data to back it up.
Last year, on the SmartAsset report of the ‘worst drivers in America’ Florida ranked #1 for several reasons. Primarily, Florida has the highest rate of uninsured drivers in America (only 73% of Florida drivers are insured) which I find to be abso-fucking-lutely insane.
I thought every driver was legally required to have insurance. Also, Florida has a high rate of road fatalities at 1.47 per 100 million miles driver.
Anyone who has ever driven in the Sunshine State has probably experienced an absolute barrage of shitty drivers. Our roads are clogged with elderly drivers in massive cars. They somehow think these big ass vehicles will keep them safe in the event of a car crash but the cars are too big for them to handle and this leads to crashes.
But enough about the Sunshine State. I could spend all day complaining about my fellow Florida drivers but you’re not here to read about that.
Below is the 2018 SmartAsset report on the worst driving states in America. They’ve actually ranked all 50 in an infographic which you can check out on their website but below I’ve pulled the top 10.
What they found is that 5 of the top 10 worst states for driving are in The South which is interesting because they note that The South also tends to have the lowest auto insurance rates. Without further ado, here is the list of the Top 10 Worst Driving States in America in 2018:
1. Mississippi
Mississippi takes the top spot as the state with the worst drivers. According to our data, this state has the second-most deaths per 100 million vehicle miles driven. Roughly 1.7 people die for every 100 million miles driven.2. Tennessee
Another Southern state comes in second. Like Mississippi, Tennessee has low coverage rates for auto insurance. It also has elevated rates of DUIs and fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.3. (tie) California
The Golden State comes in third. The biggest metro areas here are known for their bumper-to-bumper traffic, which makes life behind the wheel frustrating. According to our data, there is more to worry about than just the traffic. California ranks 12th for DUIs per thousand drivers and 11th for percent of uninsured drivers.3. (tie) Missouri
The Show-Me State ties with California for third. Missouri ranks 10th for rate of googling traffic tickets or speeding tickets, an indication that residents are getting tickets more than in other states.5. (tie) New Mexico
Driving around New Mexico could be dangerous for your wallet. According to our research, only 79% of drivers have auto insurance.5. (tie) Texas
To get around the Lone Star State you usually need four wheels. Unfortunately for residents, and for those looking to move to Texas, the drivers have room to improve their driving skills. For example, some of our data suggests that Texas drivers often break the law. The state googles the term “speeding ticket” at the ninth-highest rate.
For comparison’s sake, Massachusetts ranks as the best state for drivers in America and Vermont ranks second. Connecticut, New York, Maine, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island are just behind but also in the Top 10 safest states for drivrs. So, yes, those ‘East Coast Elite’ states that people love to hate on are actually performing a lot better on the road than the rest of the country.
7. Alabama
Alabama has three top-10 scores. Residents in the state google traffic or speeding tickets at the fourth-highest rate in the country.8. Florida
Florida dropped to eighth this year after coming in first last year. However, the state still has the lowest rate of insured drivers in the country at 73%. To go along with the drivers forgoing insurance, Florida has very high fatality rates. Florida comes in right behind Alabama with 1.47 fatalities per 100 million miles driven.9. (tie) Alaska
Alaska ranks in the top 10 for three out of four metrics. If not for the lowest rate of googling traffic tickets and parking tickets, Alaska would likely rank higher. Alaska has the sixth-highest DUI rate in our study and the fourth-highest fatality rate.9. (tie) Arizona
Our list of states with the worst drivers ends in Arizona. The state scores in the top half for all four of our metrics, which explains its spot in the top 10. The state’s worst score comes in fatality rate per 100 million miles driven. (via SmartAsset)
Chances are even if you don’t see your state in the Top 10 you probably feel like your state is full of shitty drivers, so feel free to click here to check out the complete list of data.
I’m still baffled by how there are so many drivers in America on the roads who are uninsured. It is illegal in ALL 50 STATES to drive a car without auto insurance.
Are these people that confident in their driving skills that they think they’ll never get pulled over? Are they that trustful of their fellow drivers? All it takes is some jackass to side swipe you and the cops get called.