If you drive a car, you have unlimited freedom to go wherever you choose. Unfortunately, so do some of the worst drivers in America.
Whether it’s a serious accident that results in medical or car repair expenses, or a traffic violation, there are greater risks to driving a car in some states than in others. Those risks can put a dent in your finances as easily as they can your vehicle.
SmartAsset, a personal finance website, has ranked states on how well their residents are behind the wheel of automobiles.
To find the top 10 states with the worst drivers, SmartAsset looked at the percentage of drivers who are insured, the number of driving under the influence (DUI) arrests per 1,000 drivers, the number of fatalities per 100,000 vehicle miles driven, and how often residents searched online for terms such as “traffic ticket” or “speeding ticket.”
Here, in descending order, are SmartAsset’s top 10 states of 2019 with the worst drivers in America.
10. Missouri
There are 4.30 DUIs issued per 1,000 drivers in Missouri, and 1.28 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles driven. The state has the 12th highest rate of online searches for driving-related tickets.
8. Tennessee (tie)
Tennessee is tied with Alaska for eighth place. With just 80 percent of its drivers insured, Tennessee has the fifth-lowest coverage in the country, according to SmartAsset.
8. Alaska (tie)
Tied with Tennessee for eighth place, Alaska has a reported 5.80 DUI incidents per 1,000 drivers, the fifth-highest in the nation. However, the state has the third-lowest rate of online searches for traffic-related tickets.
7. Arizona
While 88 percent of Grand Canyon State drivers are insured, the state also has the 17th highest rate of online searches for driving-related tickets.
4. Texas (Tie)
The Lone Star State is tied with Nevada and Florida for fourth place. Texas has the ninth-highest rate of online searches for traffic-related tickets.
4. Nevada (Tie)
Nevada is tied with Texas and Florida for fourth place. While 89.4 percent of Nevada drivers are insured, the state has the highest rate of online searches for traffic-related tickets, says Google Trends.
4. Florida (Tied)
Florida is tied with Nevada and Texas for fourth place. Only 73.30 percent of Florida drivers are insured, the lowest rate of coverage in the nation. The Sunshine State also has the 11th highest rate of online searches for traffic-related tickets.
3. California
The Golden State has the sixth-highest rate of online searches for speeding and traffic tickets and the 12th lowest percentage of insured drivers at 84.80 percent. Fortunately, there are only 1.13 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles driven, the 20th lowest in the nation.
2. Alabama
Alabama has the sixth-lowest percentage of insured drivers, just 81.60 percent, and its 1.56 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles driven is the sixth-highest rate in the country.
1. Mississippi
Mississippi drivers are the nation’s worst for a second consecutive year. Just 76.30 percent of Magnolia State drivers are insured. Mississippi ties with Kentucky for second-highest rate of fatalities, with 1.69 people dead per 100 million vehicle miles driven.
The full report can be found here.
