Top 5: North Carolina Holds Rank for Worst Drivers in US

North Carolina Ranked Fifth for Bad Drivers Nationwide

A recent analysis of US driving incidents—including accidents, DUIs, and traffic citations—has identified North Carolina as the fifth worst state for drivers in the country.

Research Methodology and Results

The findings were derived from an examination of driving incidents per 1,000 drivers across individual states. Although North Carolina’s speeding incidents didn’t make the Top 10, they still ranked high at 17th place. The state stood out more notably in the category of DUIs, ranking second nationally.

Detailed Breakdown of North Carolina’s Rankings

Here’s a closer look at how North Carolina fared in the study:

• Ranked 5th for accidents with a total of 20.82 incidents per 1,000 drivers
• Ranked 2nd in DUIs, with a count of 3.22 per 1,000 drivers
• Placed 17th for speeding-related incidents, with 3.46 occurrences per 1,000 drivers
• Stood 6th in citations for other moving violations, with 9.89 citations per 1,000 drivers

The study, commissioned by LendingTree.com, provides a full breakdown of the results at their site.

Other Notable Findings

Rhode Island drivers were ranked the worst, followed by drivers from Maine, California, and District of Columbia. The bottom five includes Kentucky, Vermont, Arkansas, and Michigan, surprisingly known to have the best drivers in the country.

A separate study by Consumer Affairs earlier this year reported that Rhode Island has the second-worst roads in the US, with 75% of major roads listed as “poor or mediocre.” This data might help explain the high number of traffic incidents in the state, according to the LendingTree.com analysis.