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South Carolina Has Some of the Worst Drivers in the U.S.

If you are someone like me who got their license in South Carolina, then this might be a little bit triggering. I am not sure how to feel about this,…

a car crash
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If you are someone like me who got their license in South Carolina, then this might be a little bit triggering. I am not sure how to feel about this, because I certainly consider myself a great driver. Some people with the "bad driving" trait are not actually that bad with driving, but just little, minor inconveniences... maybe. There are also some who are truly bad drivers and have issues that lead to serious, fatal incidents. Did you know that in 2022, nearly 46,000 people died in preventable car crashes on U.S. roads?

Digg.com is discussing states with some of the worst drivers in the U.S. and we wanted to take a closer look. Unfortunately for us southern-loving folks, 5 of the top 10 states with the worst drivers come from the southern region. We clearly have some things we need to work on down here. South Carolina came in as number ten on the list of states with the worst drivers. South Carolina has incidents involving both drunk drivers and distracted drivers when it comes to their incidents in just 2022. Check out the full top 10 list below:

  1. Texas
  2. Louisiana
  3. Kansas
  4. Oklahoma
  5. Kentucky
  6. New Mexico
  7. Wyoming
  8. Arizona
  9. Montana
  10. South Carolina

Wondering what the full breakdown looks like for each state? Check out the full article here.

North Carolina Isn’t The Best State To Drive In, But It Is Ranked Pretty High

Everyone hates being stuck in traffic. It can make you late and is just downright annoying. And traffic seems to be getting worse on a daily basis. That and the fact that no one in Charlotte seems to be able to drive or abide by traffic laws. The sheer ignorance of not stopping for red lights or four-way stops, not going remotely close to the speed limit, and swerving in and out of traffic constantly is the norm it seems. If you're offended by that statement, well you're the problem. In my opinion, it's a sign of pure entitlement. You and where you are headed are the only ones that are important. So as bad as it has gotten in North Carolina I was shocked to see this list of the best states to drive in.

It was compiled by our friends at WalletHub. They say that not only is traffic bad for your time and stress, but it can also be costly as well.  In fact, according to WalletHub, congestion cost the average U.S. driver $869 in wasted time during 2022. And the average person spent 51 hours spent sitting in traffic. But the conditions in which you are stuck in traffic can vary greatly by state. So, to identify the states with the most positive driving experiences, WalletHub compared all 50 states across 31 key indicators of a positive commute. The data set ranges from average gas prices to rush-hour traffic congestion to road quality.

According to their metrics, North Carolina was in the top 5 of the best states to drive in. I'd hate to drive in the worst ones! Keep reading to see the top 10 states and where North Carolina ranks. You can read the full WalletHub study here.

Top 10 Best States To Drive In

10. Indiana

Indianararrarorro/Getty Images Plus

Total Score: 59.04

Cost of Ownership & Maintenance: 12

Traffic & Infrastructure: 20

Safety: 33

Access to Vehicles & Maintenance: 17

9. Kansas

Kansasrarrarorro/Getty Images Plus

Total Score: 59.60

Cost of Ownership & Maintenance: 13

Traffic & Infrastructure: 5

Safety: 40

Access to Vehicles & Maintenance: 33

8. Tennessee

TennesseeAndreyKrav/Getty Images Plus

Total Score: 59.68

Cost of Ownership & Maintenance: 1

Traffic & Infrastructure: 27

Safety: 42

Access to Vehicles & Maintenance: 21

7. Texas

TexasДмитрий Ларичев/Getty Images Plus

Total Score: 59.94

Cost of Ownership & Maintenance: 20

Traffic & Infrastructure: 40

Safety: 14

Access to Vehicles & Maintenance: 4

6. Idaho

IdahoGypsy Picture Show/Getty Images Plus

Total Score: 60.51

Cost of Ownership & Maintenance: 24

Traffic & Infrastructure: 2

Safety: 13

Access to Vehicles & Maintenance: 42

5. North Carolina

Diverse Cities North CarolinaBullpenAl/Getty Images Plus

Total Score: 60.65

Cost of Ownership & Maintenance: 8

Traffic & Infrastructure: 30

Safety: 27

Access to Vehicles & Maintenance: 10

4. Oklahoma

OklahomaCavan Images/Getty Images Plus

Total Score: 60.81

Cost of Ownership & Maintenance: 15

Traffic & Infrastructure: 8

Safety: 30

Access to Vehicles & Maintenance: 28

3. Ohio

Ohiogguy44/Getty Images Plus

Total Score: 61.38

Cost of Ownership & Maintenance: 3

Traffic & Infrastructure: 28

Safety: 36

Access to Vehicles & Maintenance: 7

2. Georgia

Georgiasuesmith2/Getty Images Plus

Total Score: 61.41

Cost of Ownership & Maintenance: 2

Traffic & Infrastructure: 32

Safety: 29

Access to Vehicles & Maintenance: 9

1. Iowa

IowaOleksii Liskonih/Getty Images Plus

Total Score: 62.61

Cost of Ownership & Maintenance: 7

Traffic & Infrastructure: 9

Safety: 35

Access to Vehicles & Maintenance: 19

Randi Moultrie is a Charleston, South Carolina native and has been in the radio industry for the last few years in Charlotte. Randi started with Beasley Media Group as an intern in 2019 and is now thriving in the digital world. Randi enjoys writing about her favorite foods (especially pizza) and all things fashion and travel. As one who loves taking trips to find new foods, it’s not surprising that she enjoys writing about both!