Which state has the worst drivers? How South Carolina got a top spot on a new list
South Carolina has among the worst drivers in the United States, a new report finds.
The state ranked No. 7 in a study of unsafe outcomes on the road, according to results SmartAsset published last week.
To come up with its findings, the personal finance website says it analyzed traffic deaths per 100 million miles and DUI arrests per 1,000 drivers. The U.S. government data was from 2018.
SmartAsset says it also examined the portion of drivers with car insurance as of 2017. Lastly, it scored states comparing the number of Google searches about speeding and traffic tickets to searches for gasoline, results show.
Of all states, South Carolina had the highest fatality rate, according to the findings.
The Palmetto State also received a top 10 score for “ticket-related Google searches relative to gasoline-related searches,” SmartAsset said.
It’s not the first time the state has gotten national attention for lapses behind the wheel.
Earlier this year, four South Carolina intersections made it onto a list of the most dangerous in country, The State reported. Three are in Greenville, and the other is in Columbia, according to Go Safe Labs.
There were some brighter spots in the latest rankings from SmartAsset.
South Carolina scored about average for DUI arrests and 90% of its drivers are insured, beating out several other states, according to the results.
The latest data was released just before the Fourth of July travel weekend. The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Tuesday urged people to stay home this year to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Overall, Mississippi is home to the worst drivers for the third year in a row, according to SmartAsset. The best drivers are in Massachusetts, results show.
