Texas is tied with Louisiana for having the worst drivers in the country, according to an annual study by CarInsuranceComparison.com.
The study used 2014 statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to rank all 50 states on five metrics. Researchers combined each state’s rankings to come up with a final score – states with the lowest scores had the worst drivers.
The five metrics included:
- Fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled
- Failure to obey (percentage of accidents involving failure to obey traffic lights, wear seat belts or drive with a valid license)
- Percentage of fatal crashes involving a drunk driver
- Speeding (percentage of traffic deaths related to speeding)
- Careless driving (pedestrian and bicyclist deaths per 100,000 people)
Texas was tied with Louisiana for the lowest total score of 47. The Lone Star State ranked in the top 15 in each category, and was third in the nation for percentage of fatal crashes involving drunk drivers.
Texas received the following rankings in the other metrics:
- 14th for careless driving
- Ninth for speeding
- Ninth for fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles
- 12th for failure to obey
Texas slipped three spots from last year’s study, when the state had the fourth-worst drivers in the U.S.
CarInsuranceComparison.com has done the study for the past five years to inform drivers about dangerous driving in their states.
The study emphasizes the need to avoid dangerous driving habits, including:
- Distracted driving
- Impaired driving
- Disobeying speed limits and other traffic laws
- Drowsy driving
Unfortunately, even if you are a safe driver, you could be involved in an accident because of another driver’s negligence. If that happens and you suffer severe injuries, contact our Ft. Worth car accident attorneys for a free consultation. You may have legal recourse, including filing a claim for damages such as medical expenses and pain and suffering, and a Fort Worth injury attorney from our office can help to review the legal options that may be available to you.
Call us today at (817) 920-9000 to schedule your free, no obligation legal consultation.