How Bad Are Drivers in RI?

The next time you're accelerating to merge onto 95 while looking back at traffic, only to jack up on the brakes because the car in front of you has inexplicably stopped on an entrance ramp, just remember, Rhode Island drivers are actually pretty good.

Rhode Islanders certainly don't have a reputation as the most skilled motorists in the world. Anyone who has ever driven in the snow or rain can attest to the fact that half the people on the roads seem to forget anything they ever learned in driver's ed whenever any type of water falls from the sky.

But Rhode Islanders are not the worst. In fact, according to the most recent study, they're actually pretty skilled.

Rhode Islanders have been ranked 40th in a new worst-drivers ranking released by CarInsuranceComparison.com, an auto insurance website, meaning only 10 states have better drivers. If you find that a scary thought, just think what drivers in the 39 other states have to contend with every day.

The worst drivers are in Louisiana, according to the report. The best are in Vermont. In fact, New Englanders — perhaps conditioned to challenging weather and road conditions — are rather good drivers. Vermont, Connecticut, New Hampshire and, ahem, Massachusetts are all in the bottom 10 of the worst-drivers list.

The site's rankings are based on statistics pulled from several sources, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Motorists Association, and Mothers Against Drink Driving.

The insurance site looked at vehicle fatalities, drunk driving, tickets and the failure to obey driving laws. Rhode Island has one of the lowest accident fatality rates in the country, and drivers ranked high on obeying traffic signals and seatbelt use. However, the "Drive sober or get pulled over" campaign doesn't seem to be resonating with Rhode Islanders. The state was ranked 46th in drunk driving arrests.  

The full list is available at CarInsuranceComparison.com.