Nevadans Named Nation's Fifth Worst Drivers

If you've ever been frustrated driving down Las Vegas Boulevard or navigating I-15 your complaints are probably justified. Nevadans were named the nation's fifth worst driver, according to a report released by CarInsuranceComparison.com, an auto insurance website.

The website used data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for its survey and noted that the National Centers for Disease Control ranked the U.S. 19th among nations with similar income when it comes to destructive driving. The survey ranked states based on fatality rates, "failure to obey" laws for things such as seatbelt use and having a valid license, careless driving, drunken driving, and speeding.

Nevada's 5th place ranking is due in part to being ranked among the 10 worst states for failure to obey (5th in the country) and careless driving (7th). Nevada is 19th on the list for drunk driving and fatality rate. If you've got a speeding ticket recently, you've contributed to Nevada's national ranking of 16th place in that category. The worst drivers in 2017, according to the survey, were in Montana, followed by Arizona, Louisiana, Texas and Nevada to round out the top five slots.

On the other end of the spectrum, the survey says the best drivers are in Iowa, then Minnesota, New Jersey, Virginia, and Ohio. Virginia tied for the 48th slot, while Washington, D.C., tied for No. 32 among the worst drivers with Connecticut and New York.

Do you agree or disagree with the ranking of the state's drivers? How about our neighbors?

The study says that the reluctance of Nevada's drivers to obey traffic laws is leading to fatalities on the road. Twenty-seven percent of traffic fatalities were caused by ignoring safety devices, 41 percent of those killed in a traffic accident "probably could have lived" by wearing a seatbelt, and 17 percent of fatalities were caused by drivers driving without a license, the report said.

Patch reporters Autumn Johnson and Deb Belt contributed to this report.

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