The South has the worst drivers – but not the highest auto premiums

A new report reveals that six of the top 10 states for poor driving are located in the South or Southeast

Insurance News

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It seems the South and Southeast are home to some of the worst drivers in America – but insurance carriers aren’t charging them accordingly, two reports reveal.

Researchers with SmartAsset.com recently analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to calculate poor driving behaviors by state population. The group looked at the percentage of insured drivers, DUI arrests per 1,000 drivers, vehicular related deaths per 1,000 drivers and Google trends on automobile ticket-related topics.

Based on that information, the top 10 states for poor driving are:

  1. Florida
  2. Mississippi
  3. Oklahoma
  4. New Jersey
  5. Delaware
  6. Alabama
  7. Vermont
  8. Tennessee
  9. Texas
  10. Nevada

Some, like Tennessee, boast poor insurance rates. Tennessee is one of the least insured states in the country, with 20% of people not having car insurance. Oklahoma also has a poor insured rate, with just 74% of drivers in the state carrying coverage.

Find out the ways for you to find the best coverage for car insurance in Florida costs among the highest in the country.

Others have high rates of DUI arrests, including Mississippi, which ranks 12th in the country and 5th when it comes to death from vehicular incidents.

Meanwhile, in Florida, residents google “speeding tickets” and “traffic tickets” more than any other state.

Surprisingly, however, just one of these states appears on Insure.com’s list of states with the most expensive car insurance rates in 2015. Drivers in Florida pay the fifth highest premiums in the nation, with an average of $1,742 in annual payments.

The entire top 10 list includes:

  1. Michigan: $2,476
  2. Montana: $1,886
  3. Washington, D.C.: $1,799
  4. Louisiana: $1,774
  5. Florida: $1,742
  6. West Virginia: $1,716
  7. Connecticut: $1,690
  8. Rhode Island: $1,656
  9. California: $1,643
  10. New Jersey: $1,595

On the opposite end of the spectrum were Maine ($805), Ohio ($843), Idaho ($877), Iowa ($886), and New Hampshire ($905).

Researchers with Insure.com conducted the study by compiling rates from six large insurance carriers in 10 ZIP codes in every state. The rates were for a full-coverage policy for a 40-year-old man with a clean driving record and good credit. Vehicles included the 20 best-selling vehicles in the US, which represent roughly 40% of all vehicles sold. The models were rated on their “cheapest-to-insure trim level.”

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