Hell on wheels
Worst drivers in America: Texas ranks near top of list, but Louisiana is even worse
While everyone probably thinks their state has the worst drivers, a new study reveals which ones are actually the worst in America — and most are in the South, along with Texas.
The study, conducted by CarInsuranceComparison.com, ranks states based on data collected from several sources, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Motorists Association, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
So how terrible are Texas drivers? The Lone Star State came in at No. 4 on the list, although it's a slight improvement from last year's No. 3 ranking.
Each state's score is based on five categories: fatality rate (per 100 million vehicle miles traveled), failure to obey (traffic signals and seat belt laws), drunk driving, tickets, and careless driving. Each of these categories is scored from 1st to 51st (the District of Colombia is included), with 51st as the worst possible.
So how terrible are Texas drivers? The Lone Star State came in at No. 4 on the list, although it's a slight improvement from last year's No. 3 ranking. With the state's drunk driving score dropping 16 places to 47th in the U.S. (meaning the fourth worst), it's not surprising that Texas' drivers come in so high on the overall list. Even the state's best factor score — failure to obey — comes in at 33rd.
The study also revealed that the absolute worst state for driving is Louisiana, coming in at No. 1 on the list for the second year in a row. The state ranked in the top 13 for all five categories, but was only five points higher than the No. 2 state, South Carolina, which moved up significantly from last year's No. 11 spot.
Furthermore, of the Top Ten Worst states for driving, six — including Mississippi, Alabama and Florida — are located in the Southern United States.
Now that the worst states for driving has been established, how about the best? Vermont came out at No. 51 on the list with the lowest ranking for careless driving and all but one of the state's five scores were in the bottom 10.
Check out the complete list of states to find out what kind of driving — terrible or otherwise — you can expect when visiting your out-of-state relatives this holiday season.