With the increase in reckless driving behaviors in recent years, it is more important than ever for drivers to prioritize safety on the road.
This trend began during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic when fewer people were on the road, but it has persisted even as the number of drivers has increased. As a result, traffic fatalities have risen significantly in 2021.
Drivers should exercise caution while on the road. It’s important to note that most drivers still follow traffic laws and rules, but the number of law-abiding drivers in some states is higher.
Impactful rounded up rankings provided by Insurify and QuoteWizard by LendingTree to determine the 19 states with the best and worst drivers.
Insurify “turned to their database of over 4.6 million car insurance applications to determine the states with the best drivers.”
QuoteWizard “analyzed over 10 million insurance quotes to find out which states have the worst drivers in America and which have the best.” Drivers were evaluated on four factors to determine their overall driving quality. Those factors include accidents, speeding tickets, DUIs, and citations.”
A combination of Insurify and QuoteWizard ratings determines rankings.
Top 9 States with the Best Drivers
1. Michigan
- Insurify: 1
- QuoteWizard: 2
Michigan is known for its great lakes and can now add great drivers to that list. 88.16% of Michigan drivers have a clean record, making it the state with the best drivers in the country. Even though speeding is the most common infraction for Michigan drivers, they do so 18% less frequently than the average driver. Also, the state has a very low accident rate, 52% lower than the national average.
2. Connecticut
- Insurify: 3
- QuoteWizard: 1
Connecticut is one of the states with the best drivers in 2022, with over 87% having a clean record. Interestingly, while speeding is a common violation among drivers in the US, in Connecticut, the number of drivers causing accidents is twice as high as the number of drivers getting ticketed for speeding. This is the major difference between the top driving states.
3. West Virginia
- Insurify: 8
- QuoteWizard: 3
West Virginia, located in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, has a high percentage of good drivers despite the challenges of steep, winding roads. With 85.95% of its drivers having a clean driving record, it ranks 8th in the nation. However, the challenging terrain may contribute to the higher rate of life-threatening traffic accidents in the state. The IIHS reports 1.66 fatal crashes per every 100 million miles driven in the state, which is 28% higher than the national average.
4. Kentucky
- Insurify: 7
- QuoteWizard: 6
While Kentucky is known for horse racing and the need for speed on the track, that does not seem to be the case for its drivers on the roads. Kentucky has a below-average rate of speeding, and a large proportion of its drivers—over 86%—have a clean driving record. Kentucky now has the fourth-best drivers in the country.
5. New York
- Insurify: 4
- QuoteWizard: 13
New York may have a reputation for its traffic congestion and aggressive drivers, but data shows that 86.50% of the state’s drivers have a clean driving record. Despite what people think, this makes New York one of the states with the fifth-best drivers in the country. It’s surprising, but the evidence shows that New York drivers follow the road rules at a higher rate than expected.
6. Vermont
- Insurify: 9
- QuoteWizard: 10
Vermont, the second-smallest state in the US by population, has a high proportion of good drivers, nearly 86% of whom have a clean driving record. This places Vermont sixth on the list of states with the best drivers. Even though Vermont has a small population, its people have a good track record of obeying traffic laws.
7. New Jersey
- Insurify: 5
- QuoteWizard: 18
New Jersey is often criticized as having poor drivers, but the data shows otherwise. 86.26% of drivers in New Jersey have a clean driving record, which places the state seventh on the list of states with the best drivers. Despite its reputation, the evidence suggests that New Jersey drivers are safer than some think.
8. Nevada
- Insurify: 2
- QuoteWizard: 22
Nevada drivers deserve recognition, even though more than two-thirds of them live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, known for its distractions. Nevada drivers do not let this affect their driving and have a high percentage of clean records, 87.12 percent, ranking Nevada eighth among states with the best drivers.
9. New Mexico
- Insurify: 10
- QuoteWizard: 17
New Mexico is referred to as the “Land of Enchantment,” and its drivers also have something enchanting, as 85.64% of them have a clean driving record, the 10th-highest rate in the nation. Although New Mexicans have excellent driving records, when they do get pulled over, it’s most often for speeding.
Top 9 States with the Worst Drivers
1. Iowa
- Insurify: 2
- QuoteWizard: 3
According to data, 24.87% of drivers in Iowa have a prior driving citation on record, which is 39% higher than the national average. But it doesn’t look like these violations have caused more people to die in car accidents. The state’s traffic death rate per 100 vehicle miles driven is 10% lower than the overall rate for the United States.
2. Ohio
- Insurify: 1
- QuoteWizard: 5
Over one in four drivers in Ohio have a record of a previous at-fault violation, which is higher than the national average. This places Ohio at the top of the states with the worst drivers. Even so, the high number of violations in the state does not seem to be linked to higher traffic deaths. In fact, Ohio’s rate of traffic deaths per 100 million vehicle miles driven is 9% lower than the national average.
3. North Dakota
- Insurify: 3
- QuoteWizard: 6
North Dakota drivers could improve their adherence to traffic laws, as data shows that they are 31% more likely than the national average to have a driving citation on record. In total, 23.52% of drivers in the state have an at-fault violation on record in 2022, ranking North Dakota third among states with the worst drivers.
4. Wisconsin
- Insurify: 7
- QuoteWizard: 4
Wisconsin drivers do not have a strong compliance record with traffic laws, with 22.75% of drivers having a prior violation on record. This places Wisconsin fourth on the list of states with the worst drivers. Many tickets in the state for DUI violations show that some drivers may not be responsible when it comes to how much alcohol they consume.
5. Virginia
- Insurify: 9
- QuoteWizard: 7
Virginia drivers tend to evade traffic laws, with 22.36% having an at-fault citation on their driving records, which is 25% higher than the national average. However, this behavior isn’t associated with higher traffic fatalities. Virginia’s fatalities per 100 million miles driven are 13% lower than the overall rate in the United States. Although the phrase “Virginia is for lovers” is commonly associated with the state, it may not always mean love for following traffic laws.
6. Nebraska
- Insurify: 4
- QuoteWizard: 13
Most people may be unaware that Kool-Aid was invented in Hastings, Nebraska, nearly 100 years ago. Similarly, few may know that 23.15% of Nebraska drivers have a prior at-fault violation on record, which is 29% higher than the national average. This places Nebraska in the sixth position among states with the worst drivers. So, it might be something to keep in mind for those traveling through the state.
7. Wyoming
- Insurify: 5
- QuoteWizard: 14
Wyoming has a low population density, so its roads are less crowded than those in most other states. But since 22.94% of drivers in the state have a history of traffic violations, this could make some drivers take more risks and break the law. This rate is 28% higher than the national average, and thus Wyoming ranks seventh among states with the worst drivers.
8. Idaho
- Insurify: 8
- QuoteWizard: 11
Idaho is known as the Gem State, but not all its drivers have a clean record. 22.74% of Idaho drivers have an at-fault violation on their driving record, making them eighth on the list of states with the worst drivers. Additionally, the rate of traffic deaths per 100 million miles driven in Idaho is 12% greater than the national average.
9. South Carolina
- Insurify: 6
- QuoteWizard: 20
South Carolina is a popular vacation spot on the East Coast because of its beautiful beach towns, like Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head. However, many drivers in South Carolina have a prior violation on their record, making it one of the most dangerous states to drive in. Additionally, the state has a high rate of traffic fatalities per 100 million miles driven, with 1.73 deaths, which are 56% higher than the national average and the highest in the whole country.
