While California drivers may be experts at navigating traffic in major metropolitan areas like Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego, they aren’t particularly good drivers, according to a December 2022 study.
The research team at the insurance company Quote Wizard ranked California drivers as the second worst in America in its annual “Best and Worst Drivers by State” study.
Utah drivers were considered the worst in the nation.
The Top 10 Worst Driving States
- Utah
- California
- Iowa
- Wisconsin
- Ohio
- North Dakota
- Virginia
- Arizona
- Hawaii
- Rhode Island
Researchers analyzed 2022 insurance quote data from all 50 states to help determine the ranking. Each state was also evaluated by the number of accidents, speeding tickets, DUIs and citations reported during the year.
States with a higher number of accidents, speeding tickets, DUIs and citations were often considered to have the worst drivers.
California was number one for the state with the most DUIs, third in accidents, and seventh in speeding tickets. These negative factors contributed to the state’s overall poor performance.
The study also identified 10 states to have the “best drivers,” with Connecticut taking the top spot.
These states typically had low amounts of accidents, speeding tickets, DUIs and citations.
The Top 10 Best Driving States
- Connecticut
- Michigan
- West Virginia
- Delaware
- Arkansas
- Kentucky
- New Hampshire
- Maine
- Louisiana
- Vermont
Overall, the study found that eastern states were considered to have better drivers than its western counterparts.