Texas Ranks Among the Best States for Drivers in New LendingTree Report

DALLAS — If you’ve driven the High Five at rush hour, you may feel like no state deserves an award for good driving. But according to LendingTree’s new Best and Worst Drivers by State 2025 report, Texas actually holds its own pretty well.

The national analysis, released this month, looked at tens of millions of auto-insurance inquiries to measure how often drivers across the U.S. reported accidents, speeding violations, DUIs, and other citations. Those four factors together make up the report’s definition of “driving incidents.”

And while Texas certainly has its share of highway chaos, the Lone Star State ranked in the top tier for best drivers, joining Michigan, Florida, Colorado, Connecticut, and Illinois.

Yes, really.

How Texas stacks up behind the wheel

While Texas ranked among the best states for drivers overall, the LendingTree report shows why scale matters.

Texas has one of the largest driving populations in the country, which naturally increases the number of total incidents. However, when adjusted per 1,000 drivers, Texas performs better than many states with smaller road networks.

According to LendingTree’s analysis:

• Texas ranked sixth best nationwide for overall driving safety.
• The state avoided the highest tiers for DUI and speeding related incidents.
• Texas drivers performed better overall than drivers in states like California, New Jersey, and Washington, which ranked among the worst.

LendingTree researchers note that states with dense traffic, tourism, or extreme rural driving conditions often see higher rates of incidents. Texas’s mix of urban congestion and long rural highways makes its high ranking notable.

In short, Texas roads may feel chaotic at times, but statistically speaking, Lone Star drivers are doing something right.

North Dakota Takes the Worst-Driver Crown

LendingTree found that North Dakota has the worst drivers in America, with 64 incidents per 1,000 drivers so far this year. That includes nation-leading numbers in both DUI rates and speeding infractions.

New Jersey and Utah also landed near the top of the “worst” list, driven by high accident rates and fast-moving traffic.

Top 5 Worst States for Drivers (2025)

1. North Dakota
2. New Jersey
3. Utah
4. Rhode Island
5. Washington (followed by Maine, Idaho, D.C., California, and Montana)

New Jersey, in particular, reported 31.5 accidents per 1,000 drivers, the highest accident rate in the country.

Michigan Named Best Drivers in the U.S.

On the other end of the spectrum, Michigan earned the best-driver title with only 20.9 incidents per 1,000 drivers — the lowest in the nation. Florida and Colorado rounded out the top three.

Top 5 Best States for Drivers (2025)

1. Michigan
2. Florida
3. Colorado
4. Connecticut
5. Illinois (followed by Texas, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, and Missouri)

Texas landed just outside this top five, joining the list of states with safer overall driving patterns when compared nationwide. The state’s lower DUI rate and more moderate speeding-incident numbers helped keep Texas in the “best drivers” group.

And as a proud Texan, I’ll take that win.

How LendingTree Measured “Bad Driving”

Researchers analyzed accidents, DUIs, speeding-related incidents, and general citations from insurance-inquiry data between January and September 2025. General citations include everything from failure to yield and following too closely to improper passing, no insurance, and equipment violations.

North Dakota ranked worst because it had:

• Highest DUI rate (3.7 per 1,000 drivers)
• Highest speeding rate (11.9 per 1,000)

Michigan ranked best because it had:

• Lowest accident rate (10 per 1,000 drivers)
• Low overall incident rate across all categories

LendingTree notes that rural states often see more speeding violations because wide-open roads tempt drivers to push the limit.

What This Means For Drivers In Texas

Texas didn’t make the top five this year, but it’s comfortably on the positive side of the rankings — a nice surprise for anyone who’s ever white-knuckled it down I-35 through weekend traffic.

Of course, even in states with great rankings, dangerous driving behaviors still happen. LendingTree reminds drivers to stay alert, avoid distractions, and consider insurance options like uninsured motorist coverage — especially in high-traffic urban areas like Dallas.

And as every Texan knows, you can’t control the drivers around you, but you can control your own lane. Literally and figuratively.

Full results and state-by-state breakdowns are available in LendingTree’s 2025 report.