NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Beep beep! A new study shows motorists should take extra precaution when traveling in certain areas in the Volunteer State.
Four Tennessee cities ranked in the top 25 for the worst drivers in America, according to a new study by ConsumerAffairs, with one Tennessee city claiming the number one spot.
The study comes after U.S. safety regulators introduced a proposal that would set higher performance standards for automatic braking systems in new cars.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the technology could save up to 360 lives per year.
In fact, Tennessee had 34 deadly crashes per 100,000 people in 2021, which is a significant increase compared to the national average of 12 deadly crashes per 100,000 people.
To determine which U.S. cities had the worst drivers, ConsumerAffairs assigned each area a “crash score”, which looked at traffic fatalities due to violations like speeding and driving under the influence.
These four cities in Tennessee made the list:
- Memphis: Ranked #1
- Knoxville: Ranked #12
- Clarksville: Ranked #17
- Chattanooga: Ranked #19
According to ConsumerAffairs, Memphis ranked first as the city with the worst drivers in America. The study found that majority of deadly crashes in Memphis are caused by bad driving. In fact, the study states that in 2021, bad drivers were the cause of 203 deadly crashes in Memphis, which is more than any other city.
To see the full list of cities with the worst drivers in America, click here.
