Is your state home to good – or bad – drivers? Here’s how Utah ranks

(ABC4) – Do you think you’re a good driver? What about the other people living in your state – are they good drivers?

A new report shows most of the worst drivers live in southeastern states. According to a Chicago-based law firm, states with the worst drivers almost all have high rates of accident fatalities and DUI arrests.

Over the course of 2020, Americans drove more than 2.8 trillion miles amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Although down 13% from 2019, driving remains the preferred method of travel during the pandemic.

The latest study to find the states with the worst drivers reviewed multiple statistics, including:

DUI arrests per 100,000
Accident fatalities per 100,000
How many drivers are uninsured
How many Google searches related to terms like “how to get out of a ticket” and “car accident lawyer”

What states have the worst drivers

After analyzing the above factors for each state, the study found New Mexico is the home of the worst drivers in America.

Across all four factors, New Mexico had an average ranking of 6 across the board, due to its unusually high number of accident fatalities – 25 per 100,000 – and percent of uninsured drivers at 21%.

Following closely behind were Alabama and Arkansas, tying for second place. Alabama was found to have the lowest number of DUI arrests (1 per 100,000), but one of the highest fatality rates (23 per 100,000). Arkansas had high rates of fatality (21 per 100,000) and uninsured drivers (17%).

Here’s a look at the top 10 states with the worst drivers:

Overall, Wyoming had the highest rate of accident fatalities at 31 per 100,000, as well as a high rate of DUI-related arrests at 683 per 100,000.

Below are the states that had the worst ranking per category:

DUI arrests: North Dakota (793 per 100,000)
Accident fatalities: Wyoming (31 per 100,000)
Uninsured drivers: Florida (26.7%)
Driving-related Google searches: Delaware (348 per 100,000)

What states have the best drivers

Despite often being labeled a bad state for driving, New York was declared the home for the best drivers, coming in with the second-lowest fatality rate (6 per 100,000), low rates of DUI-related arrests ((156 per 100,000), and a majority of drivers insured.

Closely behind New York was Massachusetts, reporting low rates of DUI-related arrests (163 per 100,000) and the lowest fatality rate in the country (6 per 100,000).

Below are the states that had the best ranking per category:

DUI arrests: Alabama (1 per 100,000)
Accident fatalities: Massachusetts (6 per 100,000)
Uninsured drivers: Maine (4.5%)
Driving-related Google searches: Illinois (14 per 100,000)

How did Utah rank

Overall, Utah ranked in the top 10 for best drivers in the nation, tying with Minnesota, despite an average ranking of 32.3.

Utah reports 209 DUI arrests per 100,000 residents, an average amount compared to other states. The state also has 10 accident fatalities, a low-to-average number per 100,000, and an average number of driving-related Google searches at 179 per 100,000.

While Maine has the lowest number of uninsured drivers, Utah isn’t far off with 8.2% without insurance.

Below is the full rankings of all 50 states: