Best and Worst Drivers by State: 2024 Report
Driving is easily one of the most dangerous tasks in our daily lives — and good driving is only half of the equation. The driving habits of those around us play a pivotal role in safety.
Some states have better drivers than others. According to the latest LendingTree study, Massachusetts has the worst drivers in the U.S., while Arkansas has the best. In addition to going over our findings, stick around for tips on utilizing auto insurance to protect yourself against bad drivers.
Key findings
- Massachusetts has the worst drivers in the U.S. From Nov. 5, 2023, through Nov. 4, 2024, Massachusetts drivers had 61.1 incidents (accidents, DUIs, speeding and citations) per 1,000 drivers. The next worst drivers are in Rhode Island (60.6) and California (55.0).
- The best drivers in the U.S. are in Arkansas. At just 14.7 incidents per 1,000 drivers, Arkansas has the lowest rate. It’s followed by Michigan (15.3) and Vermont (15.5).
- Massachusetts also has the highest accident rate. Massachusetts — 44.4 accidents per 1,000 drivers — is the only state above 40.0. Rhode Island and California tie for second at 39.7 each.
- The District of Columbia and California have the highest DUI rates. The District of Columbia (3.6 DUIs per 1,000 drivers) is just ahead of California (3.5), with North Carolina the next closest (2.9).
- North Dakota has the highest speeding-related incident rate. North Dakota is the only state with more than 8.0 speeding-related incidents per 1,000 drivers, at 8.1. Iowa (7.3) and Utah (6.2) follow.
25 states with worst drivers
What does living in a state with bad drivers mean for your insurance? According to LendingTree auto insurance expert and licensed insurance agent Rob Bhatt, there are two major ways that driving incidents impact auto insurance rates.
“Individually, a driver with an incident on their record is going to pay more for insurance than someone with a clean record,” he says. “For example, a speeding ticket raises car insurance rates by an average of 23% nationwide.”
“For example, if you live in a city with low crash rates, you may pay a little less for car insurance than a friend or relative who lives in a part of your state with higher crash rates, even if you both have clean driving records and good credit,” he says. “When you compare one state’s car insurance to those in another state, factors like insurance requirements and regulations also have big impacts on car insurance rates. That’s mainly why you don’t always see a direct correlation between differences in crash rates and insurance rates from state to state.”
Massachusetts
Massachusetts drivers be warned: The Bay State has the worst drivers, with 61.1 incidents per 1,000 drivers from Nov. 5, 2023, through Nov. 4, 2024.
By incident type, Massachusetts has the highest accident rate. At 44.4 accidents per 1,000 drivers, it’s the only state with a rate above 40.0. It also has 2.0 DUIs per 1,000 drivers, tying with Tennessee for the 11th-highest DUI rate.
One good thing for Massachusetts is its speeding-related incident rate. At a rate of just 1.3, it ties with New Jersey for the fifth-lowest speeding-related incident rate.
Rhode Island
Fellow New England state Rhode Island ranks second for the worst drivers, with an overall incident rate of 60.6 in the analyzed period. Most notably, Rhode Island ties with California for the second-highest accident rate, at 39.7.
Rhode Island also ties with Wisconsin for the 13th-highest DUI rate, at 1.9. However, it falls on the better end of the list for speeding-related incidents, tying with Hawaii as the 28th-worst at a rate of 2.4 incidents per 1,000 drivers.
California
California (55.0) ranks third. As mentioned, California ties with Rhode Island for the second-highest accident rate, at 39.7. The Golden State also has the second-highest DUI rate, at 3.5.
As for speeding-related incidents, though, California has just 1.2 incidents per 1,000 drivers — the fourth-best by state.
District of Columbia
The District of Columbia ranks fourth, with 54.6 incidents per 1,000 drivers. Most notably, it has the highest DUI rate (3.6) and the fourth-highest accident rate (31.9).
Still, D.C. saw a rate of just 0.8 speeding-related incidents per 1,000 drivers — the lowest by state.
New Jersey
New Jersey rounds out the top five, at 45.8 incidents per 1,000 drivers. It ranks fifth for accident rates (30.4) and DUI rates (2.5). Meanwhile, it ties with Massachusetts as the fifth-best state for speeding-related incident rates, at just 1.3.
26 states with best drivers
Arkansas
Conversely, the best drivers in the U.S. are in Arkansas. From Nov. 5, 2023, through Nov. 4, 2024, Arkansas had just 14.7 incidents per 1,000 drivers. Of note, Arkansas has the lowest accident rate (8.2 per 1,000).
It also ties with four states — Vermont, Kansas, Kentucky and New Hampshire — for the 11th-lowest DUI rate at 0.9. Finally, it ties with Delaware for the 19th-lowest speeding-related incident rate, at 2.1.
Michigan
After Arkansas, Michigan (15.3) has the second-best drivers. It has the second-lowest accident rate, at 8.4 per 1,000 drivers. Michigan also ties with New York and Oklahoma for the ninth-lowest speeding-related incident rate, at 1.6.
Michigan also has the 24th-lowest DUI rate, at 1.2, tying with Maine and South Dakota.
Vermont
Vermont (15.5) ranks third. Vermont has the second-lowest speeding-related incident rate, at 0.9. It also has the sixth-lowest accident rate, at 10.2. As mentioned, Vermont ties with four other states for the 11th-lowest DUI rate, at 0.9.
Kentucky
Kentucky ranks fourth, at 15.8 incidents per 1,000 drivers. Of note, it has the third-lowest speeding-related incident rate, at 1.0. It also has the eighth-lowest accident rate, at 10.5. It’s also one of the five states that tie for the 11th-lowest DUI rate, at 0.9.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (15.9) rounds out the top five states with the best drivers. It has the fifth-lowest accident rate, at 10.0. It also has 0.8 DUIs per 1,000 drivers — tying with Missouri as the ninth-lowest. Finally, it ties with New York and Michigan for the ninth-lowest speeding-related incident rate, at 1.6.
Full rankings
States with the highest/lowest incident rates
| Rank | State | Driving incidents per 1,000 drivers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 61.1 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | 60.6 |
| 3 | California | 55.0 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | 54.6 |
| 5 | New Jersey | 45.8 |
| 6 | North Carolina | 39.6 |
| 7 | Washington | 37.4 |
| 8 | Maryland | 34.9 |
| 9 | North Dakota | 34.7 |
| 10 | Utah | 32.1 |
| 11 | Idaho | 31.2 |
| 12 | Nebraska | 29.5 |
| 13 | Tennessee | 29.3 |
| 14 | Iowa | 29.2 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | 28.8 |
| 16 | Indiana | 28.3 |
| 16 | Kansas | 28.3 |
| 18 | Oregon | 27.7 |
| 18 | South Carolina | 27.7 |
| 20 | Nevada | 27.6 |
| 21 | Maine | 26.7 |
| 22 | Virginia | 26.5 |
| 23 | Hawaii | 26.3 |
| 24 | Delaware | 26.2 |
| 25 | Ohio | 26.0 |
| 26 | Connecticut | 25.8 |
| 27 | Missouri | 25.4 |
| 28 | Montana | 25.3 |
| 29 | Minnesota | 24.8 |
| 30 | South Dakota | 24.7 |
| 30 | Texas | 24.7 |
| 32 | Wyoming | 24.6 |
| 33 | Colorado | 24.5 |
| 34 | Georgia | 24.0 |
| 35 | Florida | 23.8 |
| 36 | New Mexico | 23.4 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | 23.3 |
| 38 | Alabama | 22.0 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | 21.8 |
| 40 | Arizona | 21.5 |
| 40 | New York | 21.5 |
| 42 | Mississippi | 21.2 |
| 43 | Louisiana | 19.4 |
| 44 | Illinois | 19.3 |
| 45 | West Virginia | 18.4 |
| 46 | Alaska | 17.0 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | 15.9 |
| 48 | Kentucky | 15.8 |
| 49 | Vermont | 15.5 |
| 50 | Michigan | 15.3 |
| 51 | Arkansas | 14.7 |
Source: LendingTree analysis of QuoteWizard by LendingTree insurance inquiries from Nov. 5, 2023, through Nov. 4, 2024.
Best and worst states by incident type
Accident rates
By incident type, Massachusetts has the highest accident rate, at 44.4 per 1,000 drivers. California and Rhode Island tie for second, at 39.7. That’s followed by the District of Columbia (31.9) and New Jersey (30.4).
States with the highest accident rates
| Rank | State | Accidents per 1,000 drivers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 44.4 |
| 2 | California | 39.7 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | 39.7 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | 31.9 |
| 5 | New Jersey | 30.4 |
Source: LendingTree analysis of QuoteWizard by LendingTree insurance inquiries from Nov. 5, 2023, through Nov. 4, 2024.
Oklahoma rounds out the top five, at 10.0.
“Crashes tend to have a bigger impact on insurance rates than certain other incidents,” Bhatt says. “If you get a speeding ticket, for example, it’s not going to cost the insurance company any money, because you didn’t damage anyone’s property. It’ll cost you money, however, because the insurance company will see you as a risky driver and raise your rate.
“Crash rates are among several factors that impact insurance companies’ costs of doing business. Their rates are designed to cover these costs, and they charge more in areas where they spend more on accident injuries and repairs.”
DUI rates
Looking at DUI rates, the District of Columbia and California have the highest rates. The District of Columbia has 3.6 DUIs per 1,000 drivers — just ahead of California at 3.5. North Carolina follows, at 2.9, with Wyoming (2.7) and New Jersey (2.5) wrapping up the top five.
According to Bhatt, one challenge for all communities is the recent uptick in impaired driving.
Alcohol-related traffic fatalities dropped considerably between 1982 and 2011 — one of the lowest years for alcohol-related fatalities on record, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). However, these fatalities increased dramatically in 2020 and 2021, rising by 36% since 2011.
States with the highest DUI rates
| Rank | State | DUIs per 1,000 drivers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 3.6 |
| 2 | California | 3.5 |
| 3 | North Carolina | 2.9 |
| 4 | Wyoming | 2.7 |
| 5 | New Jersey | 2.5 |
Source: LendingTree analysis of QuoteWizard by LendingTree insurance inquiries from Nov. 5, 2023, through Nov. 4, 2024.
Meanwhile, Illinois and Louisiana tie for the lowest DUI rate, at just 0.4. Another tie follows for third: Mississippi and West Virginia, at 0.5. South Carolina and Alabama finish here, tying for fifth at 0.6.
Speeding-related incident rates
As for speeding-related incidents, North Dakota has the highest rate. At 8.1 speeding-related incidents, North Dakota is the only state with more than 8.0 speeding-related incidents per 1,000 drivers. Iowa (7.3) and Utah (6.2) follow, with Idaho (6.1) close behind.
Wisconsin (5.9) wraps up the top five.
States with the highest speeding-related incident rates
| Rank | State | Speeding-related incidents per 1,000 drivers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | 8.1 |
| 2 | Iowa | 7.3 |
| 3 | Utah | 6.2 |
| 4 | Idaho | 6.1 |
| 5 | Wisconsin | 5.9 |
Source: LendingTree analysis of QuoteWizard by LendingTree insurance inquiries from Nov. 5, 2023, through Nov. 4, 2024.
Meanwhile, the District of Columbia (0.8) and Vermont (0.9) are the only states with less than 1.0 speeding-related incidents per 1,000 drivers. Kentucky ranks third, at 1.0. California (1.2) follows, with New Jersey and Massachusetts tying at 1.3.
Full rankings by incident type
States with the highest/lowest accident rates
| Rank | State | Accidents per 1,000 drivers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 44.4 |
| 2 | California | 39.7 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | 39.7 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | 31.9 |
| 5 | New Jersey | 30.4 |
| 6 | North Carolina | 26.4 |
| 7 | Maryland | 24.3 |
| 8 | Washington | 19.7 |
| 9 | Tennessee | 19.3 |
| 10 | Maine | 18.4 |
| 11 | South Carolina | 18.1 |
| 12 | Connecticut | 18.0 |
| 13 | Texas | 17.4 |
| 14 | Indiana | 17.3 |
| 15 | Utah | 17.1 |
| 16 | Delaware | 16.3 |
| 17 | Idaho | 15.7 |
| 18 | Nevada | 15.6 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | 15.5 |
| 20 | Florida | 15.4 |
| 21 | Virginia | 15.2 |
| 21 | New Mexico | 15.2 |
| 21 | Oregon | 15.2 |
| 24 | Montana | 14.9 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | 14.8 |
| 25 | Hawaii | 14.8 |
| 27 | Georgia | 14.7 |
| 28 | New York | 14.5 |
| 29 | Nebraska | 14.3 |
| 30 | Alabama | 14.1 |
| 30 | Louisiana | 14.1 |
| 32 | Ohio | 13.9 |
| 33 | Wyoming | 13.8 |
| 34 | Kansas | 13.2 |
| 35 | Colorado | 13.0 |
| 35 | Mississippi | 13.0 |
| 37 | Missouri | 12.6 |
| 38 | Arizona | 12.4 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | 12.4 |
| 40 | West Virginia | 12.1 |
| 41 | Iowa | 12.0 |
| 42 | North Dakota | 11.7 |
| 43 | Illinois | 10.7 |
| 44 | Kentucky | 10.5 |
| 45 | Minnesota | 10.4 |
| 46 | Vermont | 10.2 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | 10.0 |
| 48 | South Dakota | 9.8 |
| 49 | Alaska | 9.6 |
| 50 | Michigan | 8.4 |
| 51 | Arkansas | 8.2 |
Source: LendingTree analysis of QuoteWizard by LendingTree insurance inquiries from Nov. 5, 2023, through Nov. 4, 2024.
States with the highest/lowest DUI rates
| Rank | State | DUIs per 1,000 drivers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 3.6 |
| 2 | California | 3.5 |
| 3 | North Carolina | 2.9 |
| 4 | Wyoming | 2.7 |
| 5 | New Jersey | 2.5 |
| 6 | Iowa | 2.3 |
| 6 | Nebraska | 2.3 |
| 8 | North Dakota | 2.2 |
| 9 | Idaho | 2.1 |
| 9 | Indiana | 2.1 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | 2.0 |
| 11 | Tennessee | 2.0 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | 1.9 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | 1.9 |
| 15 | Montana | 1.7 |
| 16 | Minnesota | 1.6 |
| 16 | Virginia | 1.6 |
| 18 | Ohio | 1.5 |
| 18 | Washington | 1.5 |
| 18 | Utah | 1.5 |
| 21 | New Mexico | 1.4 |
| 21 | Arizona | 1.4 |
| 21 | Nevada | 1.4 |
| 21 | Maryland | 1.4 |
| 25 | Alaska | 1.3 |
| 25 | Connecticut | 1.3 |
| 27 | Michigan | 1.2 |
| 27 | Maine | 1.2 |
| 27 | South Dakota | 1.2 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | 1.1 |
| 30 | Oregon | 1.1 |
| 32 | New York | 1.0 |
| 32 | Hawaii | 1.0 |
| 32 | Texas | 1.0 |
| 32 | Colorado | 1.0 |
| 32 | Delaware | 1.0 |
| 37 | New Hampshire | 0.9 |
| 37 | Kentucky | 0.9 |
| 37 | Arkansas | 0.9 |
| 37 | Kansas | 0.9 |
| 37 | Vermont | 0.9 |
| 42 | Missouri | 0.8 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | 0.8 |
| 44 | Georgia | 0.7 |
| 44 | Florida | 0.7 |
| 46 | Alabama | 0.6 |
| 46 | South Carolina | 0.6 |
| 48 | West Virginia | 0.5 |
| 48 | Mississippi | 0.5 |
| 50 | Louisiana | 0.4 |
| 50 | Illinois | 0.4 |
Source: LendingTree analysis of QuoteWizard by LendingTree insurance inquiries from Nov. 5, 2023, through Nov. 4, 2024.
States with the highest/lowest speeding-related incident rates
| Rank | State | Speeding-related incidents per 1,000 drivers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | 8.1 |
| 2 | Iowa | 7.3 |
| 3 | Utah | 6.2 |
| 4 | Idaho | 6.1 |
| 5 | Wisconsin | 5.9 |
| 6 | Kansas | 5.7 |
| 6 | Washington | 5.7 |
| 8 | Missouri | 5.3 |
| 9 | South Dakota | 5.2 |
| 10 | Minnesota | 4.9 |
| 11 | Oregon | 4.8 |
| 12 | Nebraska | 4.7 |
| 13 | Ohio | 4.2 |
| 13 | Colorado | 4.2 |
| 15 | Nevada | 3.6 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | 3.5 |
| 17 | Illinois | 3.4 |
| 18 | Indiana | 3.2 |
| 18 | Virginia | 3.2 |
| 18 | Arizona | 3.2 |
| 18 | Florida | 3.2 |
| 22 | Montana | 2.9 |
| 22 | Georgia | 2.9 |
| 22 | Maine | 2.9 |
| 22 | Alabama | 2.9 |
| 26 | Wyoming | 2.5 |
| 26 | South Carolina | 2.5 |
| 28 | Mississippi | 2.4 |
| 28 | Hawaii | 2.4 |
| 28 | Rhode Island | 2.4 |
| 31 | Tennessee | 2.3 |
| 32 | Delaware | 2.1 |
| 32 | Arkansas | 2.1 |
| 34 | Maryland | 2.0 |
| 35 | Alaska | 1.9 |
| 35 | Texas | 1.9 |
| 37 | Connecticut | 1.8 |
| 37 | North Carolina | 1.8 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | 1.7 |
| 39 | West Virginia | 1.7 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | 1.6 |
| 41 | New York | 1.6 |
| 41 | Michigan | 1.6 |
| 44 | New Mexico | 1.5 |
| 45 | Louisiana | 1.4 |
| 46 | Massachusetts | 1.3 |
| 46 | New Jersey | 1.3 |
| 48 | California | 1.2 |
| 49 | Kentucky | 1.0 |
| 50 | Vermont | 0.9 |
| 51 | District of Columbia | 0.8 |
Source: LendingTree analysis of QuoteWizard by LendingTree insurance inquiries from Nov. 5, 2023, through Nov. 4, 2024.
Defending against dangerous drivers: Top insurance tips
You can never be too careful on the road. Whether you live in a state with good drivers or bad ones, here are some tips to keep in mind when it comes to your insurance:
- Accidents can happen anywhere, even in states with low incident rates. “No one wants to overpay for insurance, but you shouldn’t skimp, either,” Bhatt says. “If you want to save money, it’s better to increase your deductibles than reduce your coverages. Shopping around for the best rate from time to time never hurts, either.”
- Consider uninsured motorist coverage. “Unfortunately, too many people are driving without insurance,” he says. “Uninsured motorist coverage is required in about 20 states, and it’s an optional add-on in most others. It covers your medical expenses if you’re injured in an accident caused by a driver without insurance. You can usually also get uninsured motorist coverage for car damage. It’s not very expensive, and it can be extremely valuable if you ever need it.”
- Remember the other expenses your insurance covers. “If you’re laid up after an accident caused by an uninsured driver, just knowing that your insurance is going to cover your medical bills can make it a lot easier for you to focus on your recovery,” he says.
Methodology
Researchers analyzed tens of millions of QuoteWizard by LendingTree insurance inquiries from Nov. 5, 2023, through Nov. 4, 2024.
To determine the best and worst drivers by state, researchers calculated the number of driving incidents per 1,000 drivers in every state based on the residences listed on those insurance inquiries. This main category included accidents, DUIs, speeding-related incidents and general citations.
We looked at the four categories combined and evaluated accidents, DUIs and speeding-related incidents individually. Our individual analyses don’t add to the driving incident total because of drivers with multiple incidents.
The categories that fell under general citations included:
- Carelessness or recklessness
- Improper lane usage, improper passing and improper turning
- No insurance or no license to operate a vehicle or misrepresenting a license
- Failure to yield to a car or pedestrian
- Safety violations, following another vehicle closely and passing a bus
- Not signaling
- Hit-and-runs involving a bicycle or pedestrian
- Having defective equipment or using the wrong road
- Comprehensive or other citations