Massachusetts has the worst drivers in the United States, according to a recent study by financial site Lending Tree.
According to the study — which compiled data from all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., from Nov. 5, 2023, to Nov. 4, 2024 — Massachusetts ranked first for the highest number of reported incidents, including speeding, DUIs and citations, with 61.1 incidents per 1000 drivers.
Within those crash types, the state also had the highest crash rate, with 44.4 crashes per 1,000 drivers — the only state to score above 40.
Massachusetts also holds the 11th highest DUI rate in the country, according to the study.
According to WalletHub, Massachusetts has some of the highest car insurance rates in the country because of these factors.
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As for why the Bay State has such high numbers, CBS affiliate WBZ obtained data showing an increase in traffic in the state between 2022 and 2023, with 5% more cars on the road in Boston, over 10% more in Newton and about 15% more in Framingham — to name just a few cities.
CBS News attributed that growth to the fact that many employees have returned to the office after the COVID-19 pandemic, but fewer of those same workers are using public transportation instead of opting for cars.
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This, combined with the state’s dangerous winter weather conditions, creates an environment conducive to traffic incidents, the paper reported.
On a positive note, Massachusetts drivers have the fifth-lowest speeding incident rate in the country, with just 1.3 speeding accidents per 1,000 drivers, according to Lending Tree findings.
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Additional findings showed that DC had the highest DUI rate at 3.6 per 1,000 drivers, while California came in second at 3.5.
On the other hand, North Dakota ranks first for speeding, with 8 cases per 1,000 drivers.
On the other hand, Arkansas ranked first for best drivers overall, with the fewest reported incidents at 14.7 per 1,000 drivers, as well as the lowest crash rate at 8.2 per 1,000.
The state also ranked 11th for the fewest DUIs, tied with Vermont, Kansas, Kentucky and New Hampshire.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education