Alabama has some of the nation’s ‘riskiest’ drivers, study finds

Alabama has some of the nation’s ‘riskiest’ drivers, study finds

Willing to keep driving long after the gas gauge hits “E”? Or after the “check engine light” comes on? Do you blow past the speed limit signs like you’re in the last turn at Talladega?

If so, then you might be one of the people who were recently surveyed in a study of the nation’s riskiest drivers — a survey which determined Alabama has some of the riskiest.

The website Coast, which specializes in fleet management, surveyed 3,169 drivers across the U.S., establishing several key metrics to form their final list.

Once the data was in, the survey found Alabama drivers are the 5th riskiest drivers in the U.S., with a total score of 59.8. Alabama was one of only two southern states to make the top 10.

Ohio took the top spot for riskiest drivers with a total score of 69.4 on a 100-point scale, followed by Tennessee (67.7), Oklahoma (65.6), California (61.4), Alabama, Indiana (59.3), Massachusetts (57.9), North Carolina (56.0), New Jersey (54.0) and Rhode Island (53.3).

Alabama drivers, on average, are willing to drive 107 miles after the check engine light comes on, which is 24% farther than the national average of 84 miles. Car insurance experts recommend driving no more than 50-100 miles once the check engine light comes on.

Alabama also average 57 days of driving after the check engine light appears.

At the other end of the spectrum, the study found Hawaii drivers to be the “least risky,” with an overall score of just 20.4, followed by Louisiana (22.8), Idaho (25.5), New York (25.7), Nevada (25.8), Delaware (28.9), Utah (29.1) and Maryland (31.8).

It’s worth noting six states — Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming — were excluded from the survey due to a lack of respondents.

Other finding from the survey included:

  • Of all U.S. drivers, Millennials will drive the farthest on an empty tank and with a check engine light on.
  • One of every five drivers has run out of gas while driving.
  • 23% of drivers will get gas only after the low fuel light comes on.
  • U.S. drivers average 11.5 miles per hour over the speed limit on highways; 6.55 miles per hour over the limit on city streets; and 8.76 mph over the limit on backroads.
  • Men average 12.24 mph over the speed limit on highway; women average 10.98 mph.
  • Gen Z is home to the most “lead foot” drivers, with the average Gen Z-er driving 13 mph over the speed limit, regardless of road type.
  • Owners of Mercedes, BMW, Hyundai, Nissan and GMC vehicles are the most likely to speed on highways (12 to 14 mph over the limit).
  • U.S. drivers are willing, on average, to drive 5.6 miles to find cheaper gas.
  • On average, drivers go 122.5 miles with the oil light on before getting an oil service.
  • The average American driver has received 1.5 speeding tickets in their lifetime.

Survey respondents were also asked to acknowledge any hazardous driving behaviors in the past six months. The most common:

  • Speeding (50.5%)
  • Honking (36.5%)
  • Texting while driving (28.1%)
  • Running a red light (12.7%)
  • Flashing headlights (11.5%)
  • Road rage (11.1%)
  • Tailgating (8.6%)

Full survey results can be found here.