The study analyzed accidents, DUIs, speeding tickets and tickets to determine which states had the best and worst drivers.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina drivers rank among the worst in the nation, a new study from an insurance comparison firm finds.
North Carolina ranked 18th among the worst states for driving, according to a survey released Monday by QuoteWizard. South Carolina followed at No. 20.
The site uses more than 10 million insurance quotes across the country and ranks states based on four factors: accidents, DUIs, speeding tickets and traffic tickets.
In these categories, drivers in North Carolina ranked 12th in accidents and 17th in drunk driving, contributing significantly to the state’s poor ranking. South Carolina ranks 4th in accidents but 15th in DUIs.
Carolina does finish in the top half in the speeding category. South Carolina ranked 22nd for the fewest speeding violations, and North Carolina was 24th.
Carolinians can be glad they don’t live in the western part of the country, with Utah and California among the top two worst drivers in the country, according to the study. QuoteWizard found that overall, drivers in eastern states outperformed drivers in western states.
Contributing to California’s poor ranking is that it ranks as the state with the most drunk driving and the third-most accidents. Meanwhile, Utah drivers received the most speeding tickets and the second most tickets.
According to the study, the nation’s best drivers live in Connecticut, Michigan and West Virginia.
While North Carolina didn’t rank well in the study, Charlotte drivers ranked 12th in a similar study of cities conducted by QuoteWizard in July. The study used the same methodology for the 70 largest U.S. cities.
Of the 70 cities analyzed, Charlotte ranked 52nd in DUIs, 56th in speeding and 60th in citations. A nod to Charlotte ranks 33rd in accidents.
