Report reveals states with the worst/best drivers

Which states have the worst drivers? Forbes Advisor crunched the numbers to find the answer.

According to a Forbes Advisor report, Texas has the worst drivers. The top five states with the worst drivers:

1. Texas
2. Louisiana
3. Kansas
4. Oklahoma
5. Kentucky

To calculate each state’s driver score, Forbes Advisor looked at six metrics, which include the number of these factors:

• Fatal car crashes involving a distracted driver per 100,000 licensed drivers – 18% of score.
• Fatal car crashes involving a drowsy driver per 100,000 licensed drivers – 18% of score.
• Drunk drivers (blood alcohol content of 0.08 or more) involved in fatal car crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers – 18% of score.
• Fatal car crashes involving a driver who was driving the wrong way on a one-way street or on the wrong side of the road per 100,000 licensed drivers – 18% of score.
• Fatal car crashes involving a driver who failed to obey traffic signs, traffic signals or a traffic officer per 100,000 licensed drivers – 18% of score.
• Drivers who looked at a phone per mile – 10% of score.

Texas ranks second worst in the nation for two of the metrics considered: fatal car crashes involving a drowsy driver (1.35 crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers) and fatal car crashes involving a driver who was driving the wrong way on a one-way street or on the wrong side of the road (1.53 crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers). Texas also reports the third-highest number of drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes (17.24 per 100,000 licensed drivers). The Lone Star state also has the ninth-highest number of fatal car crashes involving a distracted driver (1.92 crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers).

The areas with the best drivers:

1. Washington, D.C.
2. Vermont
3. Minnesota
4. Massachusetts
5. Connecticut

Five of the top 10 states with the worst drivers are in the South, including Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kentucky and South Carolina. Seven of the top 10 states with the best drivers are in the East Coast area, including Washington, D.C., Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island. Montana is home to the most drunk drivers involved in fatal car crashes (19.01 per 100,000 licensed drivers) and New Mexico reports the highest number of fatal car crashes involving a distracted driver (9.54 crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers).

To view the full report, click here. LL