It's True: CA Has The Worst Drivers. Study ID's CA Cities With Bad Drivers

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Golden State's notorious reputation for traffic jams and clogged highways may not be the biggest headache for motorists after all. Consumer Affairs' latest study on bad drivers indicated multiple California cities consistently ranked higher and more often on its list of worst drivers.

Last week, Consumer Affairs released its "worst drivers" in America list for the fourth consecutive year. To compile the rankings, Consumer Affairs' research team analyzed the most recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash data focusing on five factors related to fatal accidents and deaths.

The team only analyzed U.S. cities with populations of 100,000 or greater, and 338 cities met the threshold this year.

The five factors that determined the list's rankings included:

• Traffic fatalities
• Fatal crashes related to bad driving
• Traffic fatalities involving positive blood alcohol content readings
• Traffic fatalities involving driving under the influence
• Traffic fatalities involving speeding

The most recent data from NHTSA recorded 39,254 traffic deaths across the country in 2024, which fell slightly from the previous year. Drivers in multiple U.S. cities are more likely to put other drivers at risk, Consumer Affairs found.

According to Consumer Affairs, California cities appear on that list 61 times. Most of the cities with the worst drivers were in Southern California, especially in the Inland Empire.

California cities found to have the worst drivers in the U.S. included:

7. Rialto

8. Jurupa Valley

10. Hesperia

22. Victorville

34. Ontario

44. San Bernardino

45. El Cajon

79. Fresno

87. Richmond

95. Oceanside

103. Temecula

110. Fremont

112. Oakland

117. Modesto

118. Antioch

136. Palmdale

138. Huntington Beach

142. Ventura

147. Corona

156. Moreno Valley

158. Escondido

162. Pomona

175. Vallejo

176. Carlsbad

177. Clovis

182. Fontana

185. Murrieta

187. Fullerton

196. Santa Ana

198. Visalia

199. Inglewood

200. Santa Maria

207. Fairfield

209. Pasadena

212. Downey

213. San Diego

214. Orange

218. Long Beach

226. Los Angeles

237. Riverside

240. West Covina

241. Torrance

242. Menifee

243. Rancho Cucamonga

251. Roseville

260. Anaheim

262. San Francisco

265. Berkeley, CA

270. Daly City

272. Santa Clara

273. Burbank

278. Sunnyvale

281. San Jose

287. Glendale

294. East Irvine

295. Simi Valley

296. Santa Rosa

302: Vacaville

308: Chico

310: Hayward

332: Oxnard

"Part of that shift comes from a cluster of Southern California suburbs going in the wrong direction. Rialto, Jurupa Valley and Hesperia all appear in this year’s worst-ranked list. All three sit in the same metro area outside Los Angeles and moved up from last year by dozens of spots," Consumer Affairs said.

Based on recommendations from road safety experts, Consumer Affairs suggested drivers should:

• Keep a conservative following distance.
• Put your phone away before you drive.
• Scan around, not just straight ahead.
• And don’t engage with aggressive drivers.

"Defensive driving won’t stop other people from driving recklessly, but it can help you avoid becoming part of the consequences," Consumer Affairs said.