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[XiaNaphryz]

Saw this floating around a couple news websites. Link to the original article:

https://quotewizard.com/news/posts/the-best-and-worst-drivers-by-city

Methodology

How do you statistically determine bad driving? We sampled incident stats from users of our website with over two million data points from 2016. To quantify over driver standards for comparison, we weighted incident counts for each city with its occurrence percentage. The final rankings are sum of weighted means calculated from these parameters:

• Accidents
• Speeding tickets
• DUIs
• Citations (running a red light, using a cellphone while driving, etc.)

Full list at the link.

Worst 20:
1 Sacramento, CA
2 Salt Lake City, UT
3 Riverside, CA
4 Richmond, VA
5 San Diego, CA
6 Los Angeles, CA
7 Columbus, OH
8 Omaha, NE
9 Denver, CO
10 Bakersfield, CA
11 Portland, OR
12 Virginia Beach, VA
13 Bay Area, CA
14 Charlotte, NC
15 Fresno, CA
16 Greenville, SC
17 Minneapolis, MN
18 Cleveland, OH
19 Boston, MA
20 Durham, NC

The Bad

Sacramento

Sacramento is the capital of California. They're also the capital of bad drivers. That's right, Sacramento: you've earned the dubious honor of being America's worst driving city. Sacramento finds itself in first due to the highest rate of traffic citations in the country. They're also close to the top for accidents and DUI's, at fourth. Yes, America's largest tree canopy lines Sacramento's streets, but the streets themselves are filled with dangerous drivers. Perhaps Sacramentans should consider commuting by boat on Sacramento's numerous waterways, ala Venice. Fortunately, Sacramento's sorry drivers can always take solace in the fact that they're not from SoCal.

Salt Lake City

Our data shows that Utah's most populated city is also home to America's second worst drivers. SLC's high ranking on our list is due primarily to lead feet – they have the second highest speeding ticket rates of 75 cities. Salt Lake City's drivers are also racking up traffic citations at the fifth highest clip in the nation.

Riverside

Tucked near Los Angeles and between mountains and desert is Riverside. As the flag-bearer for California's Inland Empire, Riverside is also a pioneer when it comes to bad driving. Perhaps the thick smog makes it difficult for Riverside drivers to keep their eyes on the road, because they're the third worst driving city on our list. Specifically, Riverside drivers have a penchant for drinking and driving with the third highest DUI rate on our list.

Best 20:
1 Detroit, MI
2 Providence, RI
3 Orlando, FL
4 Miami, FL
5 Little Rock, AR
6 Allentown, PA
7 Baton Rouge, LA
8 Las Vegas, NV
9 Tulsa, OK
10 Birmingham, AL
11 Honolulu, HI
12 El Paso, TX
13 Louisville, KY
14 Grand Rapids, MI
15 Knoxville, TN
16 Houston, TX
17 Indianapolis, IN
18 Buffalo, NY
19 Philadelphia, PA
20 Lexington, KY

The Good

Detroit

The Motor City is home to many distinctions, including having the most expensive car insurance rates in the country. Add the high number of uninsured and oft-unlicensed drivers, and things look start looking bleak for Detroit's roadways. But surprisingly, our study firmly places Detroit in the top spot as America's best driving city. Detroit has the lowest accident rate and second lowest amount of speeding citations according to our data. Congratulations, people of Detroit.

Providence

America's second best drivers hail from the capital of the biggest little state in the union: Providence, Rhode Island. Providence drivers benefit from shockingly short driving distances – residents consider any drive longer than 20 minutes to be a road trip. At 37 miles wide and 48 miles long, Rhode Island is delightfully short and skinny. Providence drivers may suffer from perennial potholes and one of the (alleged) least-sexy accents in America. But no one can take away Providence's silver medal as the second-best drivers in America. With the lowest speeding ticket and traffic citation numbers in our list, Providence has earned their title.

Orlando

Despite droves of theme-park addicted tourists, the numbers show that people in Orlando know how to drive. Perhaps the notorious 'Florida Man' avoids Orlando's roadways, because they're QuoteWizard's third best driving city. Surprised? So are we. Florida's drivers get their share of bad press, and Orlando faces some of America's worst traffic. And like Detroit, Florida suffers from large amounts of uninsured drivers. Regardless, Orlando's drivers are statistically excellent -- their accident rate was second behind only Detroit. Way to go, Orlando.

 

[DrFunk]

I'm surprised as fuck not to see Atlanta in the top 20 worst drivers.

Spoiler

we're probably #21

 

[riotous]

Measuring by amount of tickets is a bit... off.. apples to oranges since there are different police forces with different priorities.

 

[Dr_Boris_Goltz]

I live in Southern California's Inland Empire and you see absolutely insane driving a few times a day.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

Hard to get in an accident in Chicago when you're going 2 MPH the entire time.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

I'm surprised as fuck not to see Atlanta in the top 20 worst drivers.

Spoiler

we're probably #21

Close! 22 actually.

lol

Measuring by amount of tickets is a bit... off.. apples to oranges since there are different police forces with different priorities.

Unfortunately, they don't provide their formula so we can't see how much weight is given to tickets.

 

[Busaiku]

No Houston? That's weird.

Best 20:
16 Houston, TX

The heck?

 

[Chris R]

Houston in the best?

LOL

 

[see5harp]

Man I've lived in 2 of the cities in the top 10. I feel like I've achieved something.

 

[Imperfected]

It's not surprising Detroit has the lowest accident rate at all. Entire streets sit empty for days. Minor traffic incidents likely go completely unnoticed and unreported in large portions of the city.

 

[thekonamicode]

Baton Rouge made the best list?

In my life, I've never seen a turn signal properly used in this god forsaken city.

 

[Zee-Row]

Miami? Best drivers? Are they fucking high?

 

[WedgeX]

Detroit wins??

Shiiiiiit

We are basically born learning to drive in metro Detroit so intuitively this makes sense.

Surprised DC isn't among the worst. A mishmash of driving styles from every US state plus international drivers.

 

[kirblar]

How is DC not in the top 20?

 

[zero_suit]

Hard to get in an accident in Chicago when you're going 2 MPH the entire time.

Explain Los Angeles

 

[Cagey]

Dallas isn't listed among the worst because there's no citations given for driving while on a cell phone.

Thankfully the drivers in this city drive slow as shit because otherwise these freeways would be a death trap given how awful, distracted, unaware, and generally stupid the drivers are.

At least Jersey drivers have the decency to be highly skilled and fully aware raging assholes. I miss that.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Easy to be a good driver in Detroit. 4+ lanes of nobody driving.

 

[daffy]

SoCal has the worst shit for brains drivers I've ever seen. Can't count how many times I've seen them merge without looking and almost run someone off the road. There's a Caliber Collision at every highway exit ready to make money off of these rubes. Also they drive like robots, as if no one will fuck their shit up, and only care about getting to some random destination that probably has no parking anyway.

 

[eBay Huckster]

having lived there for 8 years, Columbus being in the bottom 10 is literally the least surprising thing about either list

 

[Poppy]

use all the math you want, i know from experience that the worst drivers all live in the willamette valley

 

[Wood Man]

Miami is #4 in best drivers?!?!

That's some bullshit right there.

 

[FrontalMonk]

4. Richmond, VA
25. Washington, DC

As someone who lived all their life in the DC area and moved to Richmond last year, I'm calling shenanigans on this list. DMV drivers are fucking insane.

 

[Rocketz]

Detroit has the lowest accident rate and second lowest amount of speeding citations according to our data.

Well I rarely see cops anywhere on 75 in the Detroit area so yeah. Out of state people are the only ones following the speed limit.

 

[Kusagari]

Best 20:
1 Detroit, MI
2 Providence, RI
3 Orlando, FL
4 Miami, FL

Are they joking?

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

Explain Los Angeles

Frequent police chases that magically clear traffic.

 

[Mudcrab]

7 Baton Rouge, LA

Fraudulent list confirmed.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

Surprised DC isn't among the worst. A mishmash of driving styles from every US state plus international drivers.

How is DC not in the top 20?

DC is 25 on the list.

 

[Lkr]

how is Orlando third? did they just choose not to include I-4 in their report?

 

[Bread]

Florida cities being in the top 5 for best drivers should have been a sign that they fucked up the formula

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

Phoenix is 24th worst. So like, bad, but not like, CA bad. I knew it!

 

[Golgo 13]

I live in San Diego and I've been in 3 accidents that were determined to be the fault of the other driver. One that was so bad it crushed the entire engine compartment of my Hyundai into a 1-foot long mass of steaming metal. Airbag saved my life but I suffered a broken arm, nose, and a bad concussion where I was unconscious for almost 5 minutes.

All of my other family members have also been in accidents (though not nearly as bad) in which fault was placed on other drivers, including 2 instances of running red lights.

I've also driven defensively and saved myself from bad accidents at LEAST 10 times by slamming on my breaks or swerving.

So yeah, I can see San Diego being on the list. 😊

 

[The_Darkest_Red]

Moved to Greenville a year and a half ago, this checks out. 85 is a nightmare.

 

[Timeaisis]

Take that, Florida haters.

 

[CDV13]

Live in Columbus, can confirm, drivers are fucking shit.

270 has a wreck every day it seems.

 

[cr0w]

Houston in the best?

LOL

Yeah, this is fucking bullshit.

Hell, NASA Parkway alone should count for putting it in the worst category. Goddamn hate that road.

 

[Viewt]

Miami? Best drivers? Are they fucking high?

My exact reaction. I once saw a man hanging outside a passenger-side window throwing what appeared to be $100 worth of Church's chicken (bags/containers and all) at another car on the Turnpike.

Take that, Florida haters.

Chris, you fucking know that Florida drivers are shit. I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW THIS.

 

[rokkerkory]

Cali with so many wins

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

Florida cities being in the top 5 for best drivers should have been a sign that they fucked up the formula

It could be that being one of the best driving US metro areas is a really, really low bar, and they're all just awful.

 

[EMT0]

Florida with the best drivers? Miami? FUCKING MIAMI? Ahahahahahahahahaha

 

[Earthbound64]

Boston drivers are fine.
The problem is the other people on the road who haven't a clue what they're doing.

 

[ReAxion]

CA is ranking too high. CHP will never let you go.

 

[Youngfossil]

lol Chicago 51 (25th best?)

Only reason is Chicago that high is because cops dont give a shit about traffic citations. You can easily do 80+ on the highway while passing cop.

Hell I was going 75 (speed limit is 55 btw) and didnt notice a cop roll up behind me, flashed me to move out the way (not siren lights, head lights lol).

You have to be doing something REALLY BAD to get pulled over here

 

[Jeronimo Jones]

I'm surprised as fuck not to see Atlanta in the top 20 worst drivers.

Spoiler

we're probably #21

Right there with you. I was prepared and expecting to see it.

 

[FrontalMonk]

DC is 25 on the list.

DC should be in the top 3. Place is a goddamn nightmare to drive in.

 

[Fury451]

From this list, I've learned that Orlando and Miami Florida officers need to be ticketing more

 

[maxcriden]

I live in San Diego and I've been in 3 accidents that were determined to be the fault of the other driver. One that was so bad it crushed the entire engine compartment of my Hyundai into a 1-foot long mass of steaming metal. Airbag saved my life but I suffered a broken arm, nose, and a bad concussion where I was unconscious for almost 5 minutes.

All of my other family members have also been in accidents (though not nearly as bad) in which fault was placed on other drivers, including 2 instances of running red lights.

I've also driven defensively and saved myself from bad accidents at LEAST 10 times by slamming on my breaks or swerving.

So yeah, I can see San Diego being on the list. 😊

That is really scary to hear. I'm glad you and your family are okay!

Here in ATL I feel like we've had a lot of near misses with accidents. Like others I'm surprised it's not higher on the list.

 

[peteykirch]

Orlando, FL tends to be awful because it's a hodge podge of tourists riding on roads they have no idea where they go and what not.

Also for all the bitching and moaning claim about NJ drivers, we're not even in the Top 20 worst.

I still stand by the claim that people from Pennsy and Massachusetts are the worst drivers in the North East.

 

[Greigor The Fellhand]

false, I see no city in Indiana in the top 5. Indiana driving is awful compared to ohio. I'm at the point I'll drive through Michigan to get to chicago

 

[Timeaisis]

Chris, you fucking know that Florida drivers are shit. I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW THIS.

Shhh, let me milk this a little longer.

Spoiler

I'm legitimately surprised Miami isn't on the worst cities list.

 

[bionic77]

Florida with the best drivers? Miami? FUCKING MIAMI? Ahahahahahahahahaha

Yeah I am not sure about a list of worst driving cities that does not have Miami or something from New Jersey in it.

Can't believe Allentown rates so high. Not that I thought drivers were bad here, but they don't see especially great either.