Texas Ranks #1... When It Comes to Bad Drivers

When it comes to bad drivers, some states are are better than others. Unfortunately, statistics show Texas is the worst.

The statistics discussed below were compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and used by carinsurancecomparison.com in order to rank the top ten states with the worst drivers.

The factors used in this study focused on the causes of fatal car crashes throughout the country. Even though traffic fatalities have decreased approximately 67 percent since 1975, there is still a long way to go. Many people joke about the subject of poor driving, but the truth that surrounds the issue is very serious.

The categories that were used to rank each individual state included the following:

• Rate of fatalities for every 100,000,000 miles driven.
• Failure to obey motor vehicle laws (traffic signals, failing to wear seat belts, etc.).
• Drunk driving (percentage of fatal crashes that resulted because of alcohol use).
• Speeding (percentage of fatalities that resulted because of excessive speed).
• Careless driving (includes both pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities for every 100,000 people).

After compiling the information, CarInsuranceComparison provided a score for each state and ranked them accordingly. The State of Texas ranked #1 (worst) in the overall rankings, a demotion from #4 the previous year. Our state ranked third-worst for drunk driving accidents, ninth for speeding, and ninth for the number of fatalities per 100 million miles driven. Texas scored among the top (worst) 14 states in ALL categories, which shows our state has a great deal to improve in the area of safe driving.

Some areas are safer in Texas.

Although statistics show the State of Texas is full of bad drivers, at least one DFW county—Collin County—appears to be relatively safe when it comes to car accident fatalities. According to Officer Andrae Smith, traffic investigator for the Plano Police Department, while there are many accidents in Collin County, the majority of them result in property damage only. As of late 2016, there had been 5,516 car crashes in Collin County, with 54 percent involving property damage only (and 29 percent involving injuries).

Our thoughts on the matter.

If nothing else, this revelation should be a cause for concern. By far, the worst issue Texas faces is drunk driving (see statistics). Until we reduce the number of drunk drivers on our roads, we will continue to see our state singled out in lists such as this one. As the new year approaches, I hope everyone reading this will take extra care on NYE (and of course, throughout the year) to prevent others from getting behind the wheel while drunk, and to report unsafe drivers already on the road.

Distracted driving is also a huge factor when it comes to car accidents, especially when it comes to texting while driving. In Texas, there were more than 100,000 car accidents caused by distracted drivers in 2015 alone. Texas is one of only four states which has not banned texting and driving statewide, even though the vast majority of residents feel that it should absolutely be against the law.

The issue will be brought before the Texas Legislature again in 2017, so reach out to your representative and make sure your voice is heard!