How would you feel if someone drove past you like something off a Fast and Furious movie franchise? The truth is, not many people can handle their cars at top speed. Safe driving is one of the best ways to save money and get to your destination in one piece. But while we advocate for safe driving, America has an abundance of good and bad drivers. Find out the worst drivers by state. You may be lucky to live in a state whose name didn't make this list or rather unlucky to live in one with some of the worst drivers America has seen.
Top 10 States with the Worst Drivers in 2023
Every driver can agree that it takes a sheer amount of self-control not to floor the throttle, especially when someone cuts you off rudely. A greater level of self-discipline is required when you know the car that just cut you off is nowhere near your engine power or car speed.
If you're wondering what state has the worst drivers, you'd be right to guess somewhere like Mississippi. For this 2023 bad driver ranking, we consider three important metrics;
- Percentage of insured drivers within each state
- The number of DUI arrests per a thousand drivers
- The number of fatalities per 100,000 miles traveled.
Let's take a look at the top 10 states with the worst drivers in 2023.
Mississippi
An average day in Mississippi doesn't always look like a scene from Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift. However, this has not spared the drivers and road users from harm or accident. Mississippians clearly don't take auto insurance seriously, with 76.3% having auto insurance coverage.
For a state occupying #2 spot among the least insured drivers, you'd expect better coordination on the road. Instead, they have the second-highest fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles driven.
Mississippi roads are not for the faint-hearted. The crown for the state with the worst drivers goes to them, undisputedly.
Nevada
"What happens here, stays here" did not materialize out of the blue. Nevadans don't play around with their entertainment. This is perhaps why they have a growing number of DUI cases. Nevadans are also notorious for traffic-related offenses earning them the top spot for traffic ticket-related searches online.
High DUIs and traffic-related offenses are enough to push them to the #2 position on the list of worst drivers by state in 2023.
Tennessee
Tennessee drivers are a little more particular about their lives. While most of them may drive recklessly, they've got their insurance backing. About 80% of Tennessee drivers are insured – which is a good thing, right? Well, they're #3 on the list of worst drivers in America for a reason.
Tennessee has a record of about 3.52 DUIs per 1,000 drivers and is rated the second southern state with the worst drivers in 2023.
Florida
Have you ever heard of the "Florida man" joke? Well, whatever a Florida man claims to have done, best believe he did it. The bad drivers in Florida know what they're doing by tempting fate. You'll know Floridians are the daredevils for a state with the lowest percentage of insured drivers.
Florida has the 11th highest fatalities per 100 million miles driven. The DUI arrest rates are also high, with 32,177 DUI arrests reported in 2018.
California
California didn't become popular only for the glam and fancy lifestyle. You have to admit that with money and power comes a bit of carelessness and recklessness. Californians are not immune to the bug.
The state has the 13th highest DUI arrests per 1,000 drivers, a number which increased sporadically compared to the previous years. While the bad driver bug seems to be in town, drivers are fairly educated about auto insurance.
Arizona
It's a wonder how Arizona, with the third-highest fatalities per 100 million miles driven, comes in at the sixth position. There's a different air strain in Arizona, and it's evident in the number of DUI arrests, traffic-related offenses, and traffic tickets issued annually.
South Carolina and Texas
We have a tie for the 7th place. Drivers in South Carolina and Texas have almost the same tendencies with road rage, speeding, and DUI. Both states also have a fairly decent insurance adoption rate of 90.6% and 85.9%, respectively.
South Carolina is the only state on the list of worst drivers by state in 2023 with over 90% insured drivers.
New Mexico
With a record for the fourth-lowest percentage of insured drivers in the United States, New Mexicans seem to like the dangerous path. Ranking 9th on the list of states with the worst drivers, the state has the tenth highest fatalities per 100 million miles driven.
If you live in New Mexico, the chances are high that you've witnessed some of these fatal accidents.
Alaska
Frankly, Alaska has no business being on the list of the worst drivers in the US. Despite the cold weather and increased chances of ice-related injuries, only about 84.6% of drivers are insured.
Alaska has firmly secured the number 10 spot on the list of states with the worst drivers and has a high DUI arrest rate to show. The state has the fifth most DUI arrests in the US. It also holds the record for the sixth-highest fatalities per 100 million miles.
If you're ever asked which state has the worst drivers in the US, you know who to point your finger at. Stay tuned as we bring you a tally of the worst drivers by city and probably the worst drivers in the world.
