Are Montana Drivers the Worst in the Nation?

I know we as Montanans love to make fun of other drivers. This especially seems to be true in the summer months when tourism is at its highest. If you stop at one of our local truckstops, or just take a short drive on the weekend, you will be surprised to see the variety of license plates you can spot. I’ve seen plates from as far away as Vermont this year, and numerous plates from Washington and Idaho. We Montanans like to complain about drivers from other states, but should we? Who are the worst drivers out there? What states boast the worst drivers in the nation?

It should come as no surprise that the District of Columbia has the highest number of drivers who are least likely to understand the rules of the road. Given the fact that all of our elected government officials live there, and they seem to have a little problem understanding laws, I find this to be very fitting.

Another state that boasts bad drivers is Florida. It just so happens that Florida has the worst senior drivers. Do you think this could possibly be because there seems to be the highest concentration of elderly people per square inch in the entire United States in Florida? Maybe so.

It also may come as no surprise that Tennessee is home to the most distracted drivers in the nation. My theory is that is because a good majority of the population makes moonshine in the woods. Therefore they are always looking out for agents from Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms. They can’t be bothered with keeping their eyes on the road when they are making their bootleg deliveries, because they always have to keep their eyes peeled for the feds.

The state with the worst teen drivers is South Dakota. Honestly, I think any state could have won that title. After all we are talking about teen drivers. Do you remember some of the stupid things you did when you were a teen? I do, now add a car to that and it just makes you cringe.

Sadly, Montana is the state where you are most likely to die in a car crash. This is a terrible title to hold, but we know how true this is. It is hard to find a friend or relative who hasn’t been affected by a fatal car crash. I fear that drinking and driving plays a large role in this, and I pray that by the time my kids are driving that our roads will be safer.

Joy Larson is a mother of four boys, graduate of the University of Montana, animal lover and writer.