Photo: The Clunker Junker
Most of us think of ourselves as the better drivers on the road, but the truth is sometimes harder to stomach. A recent study shows the states and cities with the worst drivers in the U.S. and what car brands they drive.
Almost everyone thinks they’re better drivers than most others, which is a fact, not a misconception. An earlier study revealed that more than 70% of drivers believe they are better than average. This is, of course, impossible, but one thing is sure: we tend to divide our fellow divers into two categories. The worst are those who drive in front of us (Sunday drivers), but we also hold a grudge against those coming from behind (speed maniacs).
If there’s one public place where one can feel the pulse of what we think of others, drivers included, it’s social media. By combing thousands of social media posts using artificial intelligence, The Clunker Junker learned where drivers have the most negative things to say about other drivers. The algorithm analyzed the sentiment of each social media post and ranked states, cities, and car brands based on the percentage of driving-related tweets that have a negative feeling.
The result is a fairly accurate image of how badly people think of other drivers, which might not be the same as drivers’ skills, but it’s pretty close. According to the study, Rhode Island is the state with the worst drivers, with 71% of driving-related tweets being negative. Not surprisingly, many of the states with the worst driver reputation are those with a fast-growing population and increasing traffic congestion. The worst perception was recorded in states where the average travel time to work grew faster than the U.S. average from 2016 to 2020.
When it comes to the cities with the worst drivers, most of them are located in the Sun Belt states of Arizona, Texas, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia. Usually, drivers in congested cities have worse attitudes toward other drivers. Tucson, Arizona, leads the top with the worst perception. And, of course, perception changes with the car brand that others are driving. Coincidentally, BMW drivers are the worst, with 58% of posts about them being negative.
If there’s one public place where one can feel the pulse of what we think of others, drivers included, it’s social media. By combing thousands of social media posts using artificial intelligence, The Clunker Junker learned where drivers have the most negative things to say about other drivers. The algorithm analyzed the sentiment of each social media post and ranked states, cities, and car brands based on the percentage of driving-related tweets that have a negative feeling.
The result is a fairly accurate image of how badly people think of other drivers, which might not be the same as drivers’ skills, but it’s pretty close. According to the study, Rhode Island is the state with the worst drivers, with 71% of driving-related tweets being negative. Not surprisingly, many of the states with the worst driver reputation are those with a fast-growing population and increasing traffic congestion. The worst perception was recorded in states where the average travel time to work grew faster than the U.S. average from 2016 to 2020.
When it comes to the cities with the worst drivers, most of them are located in the Sun Belt states of Arizona, Texas, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia. Usually, drivers in congested cities have worse attitudes toward other drivers. Tucson, Arizona, leads the top with the worst perception. And, of course, perception changes with the car brand that others are driving. Coincidentally, BMW drivers are the worst, with 58% of posts about them being negative.
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