As a native New Yorker, it was a common theme: “Ugh! New Jersey Drivers are the WORST!” I also heard that Florida had some of the country’s worst drivers, because Florida has a large population of older drivers.
But when my husband and I moved to Central Florida, the worst drivers appeared to be the tourists. And the highest percentage of tourists typically come from New York, New Jersey, Michigan and Ohio.
Many New Englanders believe that Boston drivers are the worst. Hence the term “Massholes.”
And there’s a general consensus from a lot of people, from many different states, that people from California are the worst drivers.
Which State Has the Worst Drivers?
LendingTree, known for loans, mortgages, and insurance, decided to find out.
Their researchers analyzed tens of millions of insurance inquiries from Nov. 5, 2023, to Nov. 4, 2024. Focusing on four categories—accidents, DUIs, general citations, and speed-related incidents—they analyzed the data to determine the best and worst drivers by state.
LendingTree’s Worst Drivers Rankings
1. Massachusetts
Remember those “Massholes” I mentioned? They may be on to something because according to LendingTree’s statistics, Massachusetts has the worst drivers of the 50 states.
From Nov. 5, 2023, through Nov. 4, 2024, Massachusetts drivers had 61.1 incidents (accidents, DUIs, speeding and citations) per 1,000 drivers. Not as an excuse, but Boston was noted for being extremely congested, with a mostly urban population driving in heavy traffic on roads that can’t handle the crowds.
2. Rhode Island
LendingTree says that according to their research, Rhode Island has the second worst drivers in the country, with 60.6 incidents per 1,000 drivers.
3. California
California drivers aren’t the worst, according to LendingTree—just the third worst, with 55.0 incidents per 1,000 drivers.
4. District of Columbia
D.C. drivers made it to #4 in the ranking, with 54.6 incidents per 1,000 drivers. Part of the reason? The highest DUI rate and the 4th highest accident rate.
5. New Jersey
I guess few would be surprised that New Jersey, with 45.8 incidents per 1,000 drivers, made the Top 5. The Garden State also ranks fifth for accidents and DUIs. Lots of speeding in NJ, as well.
Other Studies on Bad Drivers
Of course, this is just LendingTree’s take on it. Other entities ran their own numbers.
Forbes
Forbes Advisor analyzed data from all 50 states across eight key metrics. They say the 5 states with the worst drivers are:
- New Mexico
- Wyoming
- Texas
- Oklahoma
- Montana
Here are their numbers:
World Population Review
World Population Review states that the worst drivers are in:
- Mississippi
- North Dakota
- California
- Florida
- Nevada
Full List from LendingTree
LendingTree did actually post all 50 states, ranked in order of worst to best drivers. You can find that on this page of their website.
Interesting stuff, huh?
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