• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
worst drivers

Here’s Where You’ll Find the Worst Drivers in America

By
Mahita Gajanan
Mahita Gajanan
and
TIME
TIME
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Mahita Gajanan
Mahita Gajanan
and
TIME
TIME
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 8, 2016, 12:23 PM ET
Record Travel Expected For Memorial Day Weekend
MIAMI, FL - MAY 27: Vehicle traffic is seen on I-95 as people prepare for the Memorial Day weekend on May 27, 2016 in Miami, Florida. AAA is predicting 34 million Americans will drive 50 miles or more for Memorial Day weekend, the most since 2005. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)Photograph by Joe Raedle—Getty Images

This article originally appeared on Time.com.

The American southeast contains some of the country’s worst drivers, a new study found.

SmartAsset, a financial tech firm, conducted a survey to determine which states in the U.S. have the worst drivers, and concluded that four out of the top ten worst states are located in the southeast, including Florida, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee.

“Maybe it’s the heat causing road rage,” the study author wrote.

Bad drivers span across the country, too, and not always in the states with the worst reputations. According to the study, Oklahoma, New Jersey and Delaware made it into the top five states with the worst drivers.

States with the best drivers subverted stereotypes. According to the study, Massachusetts, which has a reputation for bad drivers ranked 48 on SmartAsset’s list.

To judge which state had the worst drivers, SmartAsset collected data across four metrics, including DUI per thousand drivers, deaths per thousand drivers, Google trends on driving tickets and the percentage of people who have auto insurance, indexed each factor for every state and determined the average score per state.

Here are the top 10 states with the worst drivers.

1. Florida
2. Mississippi
3. Oklahoma
4. New Jersey
5. Delaware
6. Alabama
7. Vermont
8. Tennessee
9. Texas
10. Nevada

Here are the 10 states with the best drivers, according to the study:

1. Maine
2. Idaho
3. Massachusetts
4. Utah
5. North Dakota
6. Nebraska
7. Connecticut
8. Pennsylvania
9. Oregon
10. Hawaii

About the Authors
By Mahita Gajanan
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By TIME
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Bearded man in collared shirt speaking
Big TechBrainstorm AI
Amazon robotaxi service Zoox to start charging for rides in 2026, with ‘laser-focus’ on transporting people, not deliveries, says cofounder
By Amanda GerutDecember 8, 2025
9 minutes ago
Bankingaccounting
‘Accounting is absolutely a profession, full stop’: AICPA president pushes back after Education Department reclassifies accounting degrees
By Courtney Vien and CFO BrewDecember 8, 2025
23 minutes ago
An older couple, smiling
InvestingWealth
Baby boomers have now ‘gobbled up’ nearly one-third of America’s wealth share, and they’re leaving Gen Z and millennials behind
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 8, 2025
3 hours ago
Paramount
BankingM&A
Paramount, Netflix spur Wall Street race to win jumbo loan deals
By Natalie Harrison, Paula Seligson and BloombergDecember 8, 2025
3 hours ago
Jared Kushner is seen at the Royal Court after US President Donald Trump received the Order of Abdulaziz al-Saud medal in Riyadh on May 20, 2017.
InvestingWarner Bros. Discovery
Jared Kushner suddenly emerges in the Warner brawl between Paramount and Netflix, backed by Saudi billions and fresh off brokering another megadeal
By Eva Roytburg and Nick LichtenbergDecember 8, 2025
3 hours ago
Disney
LawTheme parks
‘This isn’t what Walt and Roy would have wanted’: Disney fans with disabilities sue over new ride restrictions
By Mike Schneider and The Associated PressDecember 8, 2025
4 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Real Estate
The 'Great Housing Reset' is coming: Income growth will outpace home-price growth in 2026, Redfin forecasts
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Supreme Court to reconsider a 90-year-old unanimous ruling that limits presidential power on removing heads of independent agencies
By Mark Sherman and The Associated PressDecember 7, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
AI
Nvidia CEO says data centers take about 3 years to construct in the U.S., while in China 'they can build a hospital in a weekend'
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The most likely solution to the U.S. debt crisis is severe austerity triggered by a fiscal calamity, former White House economic adviser says
By Jason MaDecember 6, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Uncategorized
Transforming customer support through intelligent AI operations
By Lauren ChomiukNovember 26, 2025
12 days ago
placeholder alt text
Investing
Netflix’s $5.8 billion breakup fee for Warner among largest ever
By Elizabeth Fournier and BloombergDecember 6, 2025
2 days ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.