2 SC cities have among the best drivers in the US, new report shows. Here’s why

Much like many other states, driving in South Carolina can be a pain.

There are drivers who get distracted looking at their phones or while reaching for their morning coffee. Others drivers prefer speeding, weaving in and around traffic with little regard for the those around them.

And then there always seems to be someone driving too slow in the left lane.

But while every city in the U.S. has its fair share of bad drivers, they have plenty of good drivers too — though apparently some more than others.

According to online insurance researcher QuoteWizard, South Carolina has two cities with some of the best drivers in the nation.

Specifically, Greenville ranked 23rd and Charleston ranked 25th in the U.S. for having the best drivers among large cities.

QuoteWizard’s report evaluated driver quality from the 70 largest cities in the U.S. Researchers analyzed 2023 data from millions of insurance quotes from drivers in the 70 cities. Cities were ranked based on their rates of incidents, including accidents speeding tickets, DUIs and citations.

Here’s how Greenville and Charleston ranked in the four above categories.

SC dangerous for drivers overall?

While QuoteWizard notes two South Carolina cities for having good drivers, a report earlier this year produced by Forbes Advisor states that South Carolina ranks 10th overall for worst drivers in the U.S.

Forbes Advisor compared all 50 states and Washington, D.C., across six key metrics. The analysis identifies which states have the worst drivers and provides insight on the types of dangerous driving behavior in each state. Here are some of the key metrics that earned South Carolina its ranking.

South Carolina

• 15.66 drunk drivers are involved in fatal car accidents per 100,000 licensed drivers
• 1.41 fatal car accidents involve a distracted driver per 100,000 licensed drivers
• 0.64 drowsy drivers are involved in fatal car accidents per 100,000 licensed drivers
• 0.43 drivers driving the wrong way were involved in fatal car accidents per 100,000 licensed drivers

Patrick McCreless

The State

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Patrick McCreless is the Southeast service journalism editor for McClatchy, who leads and edits a team of six reporters in South Carolina, Georgia and Mississippi. The team writes about trending news of the day and topics that help readers in their daily lives and better informs them about their communities. He attended Jacksonville State University in Alabama and grew up in Tuscaloosa, AL.