Most dangerous states to drive in

[urnmor]

AOL posted the ten most dangerous states to drive in. I was surprised that states like NY, Conn, MA, Nj were not listed. I wonder if that is because the traffic is so heavy it is tough to go very fast?

The number 1 state was Mississippi and the number ten was Kentucky. Some of the other states were WV, OK, Montana, South Carolina was the only state on the eastern seaboard.

Drive safe and have a great Memorial Weekend and take the time to thank our men and women in uniform and our Veterans
John

[eubank]

I just found their list. Here it is:

10. Kentucky
9. Oklahoma
8. West Virginia
7. Louisiana
6. South Carolina
5. Arkansas
4. Wyoming
3. Alabama
2. Montana
1. Mississippi
http://autos.aol.com/gallery/2012-mo...riving-states/


Lynn

[overlander63]

My own personal experience seems to be the most dangerous state to drive in is whatever one I am currently driving in.
This is one of the most dangerous weekends to be driving, so be extra careful. No matter if you are towing your Airstream or just driving to the store.

[slowmover]

I would say that the states with the highest rate of drunk driving fatalities are the ones to watch out for. While many/most of those are single vehicle accidents, it is prudent to avoid driving after dark (especially driving into the dark after a day on the road), and being aware of the edges or boundaries of "metro regions" where commuters (who may be poor, uninsured and with crap vehicles) are coming to & from jobs (the night shift, too, remember) from outlying areas.

Being poor is one great penalty in this country. When it comes to driving, the problems are compounded in ways not at first obvious.

I note the list above features states with poor rural whites and blacks at the top. No surprise in that. It's that I'd adjust for the drunks to be most careful. Most DWI's, after all, aren't issued on Saturday night, but on Sunday afternoon . . . so don't forget New Mexico and a few other states, as well.

.

[purman]

We have lived on the west and east coast. Now live in the Rocky's. I still think the worst place by far is San Fran south. The only way I survived LA was because I drove in NYC for three years. And If you can drive there with those nutters you can drive anywhere. Never pulled a trailer though NYC. That could be very interesting too. Pickups are illegal on some of the parkways there, well at least the last time I was there 12 years ago. Give me he mountain roads any day before traffic.

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by REDNAX

I would say that the states with the highest rate of drunk driving fatalities are the ones to watch out for. While many/most of those are single vehicle accidents, it is prudent to avoid driving after dark (especially driving into the dark after a day on the road), and being aware of the edges or boundaries of "metro regions" where commuters (who may be poor, uninsured and with crap vehicles) are coming to & from jobs (the night shift, too, remember) from outlying areas.

Being poor is one great penalty in this country. When it comes to driving, the problems are compounded in ways not at first obvious.

I note the list above features states with poor rural whites and blacks at the top. No surprise in that. It's that I'd adjust for the drunks to be most careful. Most DWI's, after all, aren't issued on Saturday night, but on Sunday afternoon . . . so don't forget New Mexico and a few other states, as well.

.

Three out of the last four accidents I have been involved in have had drivers that were uninsured at best. Those same three were minorities, one black, two hispanic. The one before those was also a doozy, being a late middle age white male that was leaving his wife after a drunken fight. But at least he had insurance.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by eubank

I just found their list. Here it is:

10. Kentucky
9. Oklahoma
8. West Virginia
7. Louisiana
6. South Carolina
5. Arkansas
4. Wyoming
3. Alabama
2. Montana
1. Mississippi
These Are The Top 10 Most Dangerous States To Drive In


Lynn

I can attest to Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas all being in the top ten, having just driven all three yesterday. However, I'd probably put them in a different order.

Only in Arkansas have I seen such blatant disregard for no-passing zones. Maybe a double yellow line means something different there? They really hate to follow anybody, as if it's a race, and if you don't get there first there's no point in going at all.

In Louisiana it's mainly an inability to use turn signals for lane changes or turns, a persistent tendency to swing way to the left to make a right-hand turn even in a compact car, AND the belief that proper following distance is six inches for each ten miles of speed.

By comparison, Mississippi seems positively tame! It seems all they do is coast throuh a right-turn-on-red instead of stopping first. They don't even exceed the speed limit all that much, considering the draconian enforcement by the state police.

[aftermath]

Montana, number 2? I have spent a lot of time in Montana and I can tell you two things. They like to drive fast and they have a pretty independent way of thinking there. Laws are "suggestions" to be followed when you can.

This is also the last state to adopt the open bottle law. Their position was that drinking while driving was not the issue, it was being drunk while driving that causes all the trouble. When you think of it that way, it does make sense.

My son in law was fighting a big fire about 9 years ago and after a 20 hour day, he was heading back to Missoula on I-90. He was in his yellow shirt with dirt and soot from head to toe and had a cold beer in his lap. He was also going about 80. He was pulled over by a highway patrolman and when the guy saw his yellow shirt he thanked him for helping with the fires. The patrolman also saw the open beer and simply asked my son in law to get home safely and to slow down a bit. Only in Montana could you get away with that.

[Mike Leary]

I've not traveled with the mo/ho east of the Rockies, but, out west, my list of areas to avoid like the plague if I were towing or crusing a mo/ho: Portland, OR., San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Boise, ID.,Phoenix, AZ., Las Vegas, NV.
Oh, I forgot the grandaddy of crummy towns to drive through: Salt Lake City, UT!

[fmr.capt.evi]

Most dangerous states to drive in? That's an easy one: any state that prohibits me from having my "binky" with me while driving.

[xo1rider]

Originally Posted by eubank

I just found their list. Here it is:

10. Kentucky
9. Oklahoma
8. West Virginia
7. Louisiana
6. South Carolina
5. Arkansas
4. Wyoming
3. Alabama
2. Montana
1. Mississippi
These Are The Top 10 Most Dangerous States To Drive In


Lynn

Sounds like we can correlate that list with uninsured motorists, just a "WAG" (wild ass guess).

[DKB_SATX]

@Aftermath: I suspect Montana and Wyoming made the list because the calculation was done per capita, and their population is low enough to skew the figures a bit.

[Stefrobrts]

Originally Posted by Mike Leary

I've not traveled with the mo/ho east of the Rockies, but, out west, my list of areas to avoid like the plague if I were towing or crusing a mo/ho: Portland, OR., San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Boise, ID.,Phoenix, AZ., Las Vegas, NV.
Oh, I forgot the grandaddy of crummy towns to drive through: Salt Lake City, UT!

Portland? They're easy as pie! I wouldn't drag the trailer straight through downtown, but the rest of town is fine, it's all laid out like a grid so it's easy to find stuff, and I205 makes it easy to skip the whole thing if you want.

Now Denver, they're crazy! I've never seen folks drive so fast, whipping past on both sides. Minimum speed appeared to be 90 I made the mistake of being in the middle lane coming into town, and then was trying to get over to exit, and got cut off by a cop passing on the right, who then rolled down his window to yell at me at the top of the exit! I'll just stay the heck out of Denver!

Last time we went through Salt Lake we got trapped in horrible traffic, and someone actually slowed down in response to our blinker and let our rig over so we could get off at our exit. Salt Lake gets a big thumbs up from me.

Goes to show how a simple act of kindness can make visitors feel good about your whole city, or a jerk can put your city on the 'do not visit' list forever!

[AWCHIEF]

Being from south Mississippi and living back down here for the last 12 years I would have to agree with the inclusion of Mississippi to the list, especially in the three county area of the coast. Biggest bunch of morons I have ever seen on the roads. Years ago Mississippi had mandatory driver education in High School and the politicians in their infinite wisdom decided to get rid of it. The lack of proper driver training shows everyday down here. Between the drunks, meth heads, people running red/yellow lights and stop signs and the texters getting to and from work every day is a crap shoot. Now that we are into tourist season you have to keep an extra eye out for them doing something stupid. I also have no problem with seeing Alabama and Louisiana on the list.

[mefly2]

Originally Posted by aftermath

Montana, number 2? I have spent a lot of time in Montana and I can tell you two things. They like to drive fast and they have a pretty independent way of thinking there. Laws are "suggestions" to be followed when you can.

This is also the last state to adopt the open bottle law. Their position was that drinking while driving was not the issue, it was being drunk while driving that causes all the trouble. When you think of it that way, it does make sense.

My son in law was fighting a big fire about 9 years ago and after a 20 hour day, he was heading back to Missoula on I-90. He was in his yellow shirt with dirt and soot from head to toe and had a cold beer in his lap. He was also going about 80. He was pulled over by a highway patrolman and when the guy saw his yellow shirt he thanked him for helping with the fires. The patrolman also saw the open beer and simply asked my son in law to get home safely and to slow down a bit. Only in Montana could you get away with that.

Wow ... very hard to picture. We have a DUI problem here and very limited resources (low populationi density, low budget $$$) to patrol a vast area... working on it - yes ... solved - NO. Your son in law's related experience is not verified by my own; I would imagine that the MHP would have a definite problem with the officer involved in your story. Never have I known an officer that would condone such conduct as related above... and I started in LE back in 1979 ... serving in Montana city, county, and federal jurisdictions.

Drinking while driving / open container violations are written up as far as I have experienced - individual officer discretion is allowed here just as in most jurisdictions. But to say that our laws are merely suggestions is not the case. Statistics are what they are, but do not justify maligning Montana or impugning our leos. The picture of Montana painted by this visitor is by all accounts inaccurate IMO and experience... don't expect to visit here and "to get away" with the behavior cited above.