A sizable portion of car accidents is caused by hazardous weather conditions or a mechanical problem on the vehicle. However, many more serious and fatal accidents are caused by bad drivers. Distracted driving, in particular, kills thousands of motorists, passengers, and even pedestrians each year. To top it off, some states have worse drivers than others. Insurify shows us which states have the best and worst drivers in the country.

How do you find data about car accidents?

Insurify used data from various insurance companies, such as Carfax, to create its list. Insurance companies require drivers to provide information about any past accidents, as well as their state of residence. Insurify only took at-fault accidents into account when making this report, including incidents like DUIs and speeding.

The top ten states with the worst drivers

Utah, in tenth place, has a below-average rate of driver fatalities, but it still has some of the most ill-behaved drivers in the U.S. Idaho follows close behind in ninth, having one of the highest rates of traffic accidents. Idaho’s motorists have consistently driven up the national accident average for years, but at least their moving violation rates are down.

Colorado’s drivers, at eighth, also increase the national average of accidents, up to 18% in 2021. An estimated 10.3 deaths occur for every 100,000 due to traffic violations. At seventh, South Carolina reported nearly double that fatality rate for this year. Roughly 26% of its drivers have been involved in a previous accident.

Coming in sixth place is Wyoming, which has the highest number of driver fatalities in the country, an average of over 25 deaths per 100,000 citizens. It also has some of the highest rates of rude driving incidents and DUIs. Wisconsin, taking fifth place, has one of the lowest fatality rates in the nation, but it still has more incidents of rude driving.

Fourth on the list is Virginia, with over 26% of its drivers involved in a prior accident. It’s also the state with the highest percentage of impolite motorists, though its fatalities are slightly lower than the national average. The third-place winner, Nebraska, has 15% more fatalities than most states, with most of them related to negligent driving.

In second place, Iowa’s fatalities are slightly lower, but its drivers still get some of the most frequent citation rates in the country. For first place, Insurify says that Ohio has the worst drivers in the nation. Its motorists are 25% more likely to get a citation than those in other states, mostly for rude driving. Ohio residents also get more speeding tickets. Fortunately, Ohio’s fatality rate is slightly lower than the national average.

Of course, bad drivers still reside in every state, especially where stressful highways are located. Jalopnik also says that Texan motorists frequently engage in speeding or driving dangerously slow on the freeway. Pennsylvania is also home to many rude and dangerous drivers, undeterred by potholes or traditional right-of-way rules.

Which states have the best drivers?

According to Insurify’s map, Michigan and Wisconsin’s upper peninsula are the safest areas to drive. New York also has more considerate drivers, with less than 14% of them reporting accidents. West Virginia and Kentucky are also relatively safe, while drivers in areas like Alaska or Washington are less cautious.

Judging from some of these states, it’s clear that many accidents happen in rural areas or uncrowded traffic stops. With fewer drivers to deal with, some people are encouraged to test the rules of the road. Accidents can occur on any roadway, so drive as safely as possible and watch out for rude drivers.