A new national study says the Evergreen State has the 11th-worst drivers in the country, with speeding incidents helping push Washington just off the top 10.

According to LendingTree’s 2026 Best and Worst Drivers by State report, Washington recorded 38.6 driving incidents for every 1,000 drivers.

Those numbers include accidents, DUIs, speeding-related incidents, and other traffic citations.

Washington Ranks the Third Worst for Speeding

One category that stands out to me is that Washington tied for the nation’s third-highest rate of speeding incidents, with 3.0 per 1,000 drivers.

The state also ranked 15th for accidents, recording 21.3 per 1,000 drivers.

Washington’s DUI rate was much lower, tying for 20th nationally at 1.0 per 1,000 drivers, but still not that great.

Which States Have the Worst Drivers?

New Jersey took the unwanted top spot on the list. Through August 2026, drivers there recorded 56.9 incidents per 1,000 drivers.

North Carolina ranked second at 48.1, with Massachusetts and South Carolina tied for third at 45.9.

At the other end of the list, Michigan had the nation’s lowest incident rate at 22.1 per 1,000 drivers. Hawaii and New Mexico followed.

New Jersey had the highest accident rate, Wyoming led the nation in DUIs, and North Dakota had the most speeding incidents.

Bad Driving Can Hit Your Wallet

The rankings aren’t just about who’s getting pulled over or involved in crashes.

Those incidents can also affect what drivers pay for insurance.

LendingTree auto insurance expert Rob Bhatt says drivers with a speeding ticket pay an average of 24% more for car insurance than drivers with a clean record.

His advice is straightforward.

• Pay attention to your surroundings and posted speed limits.
• Leave early enough that you’re not tempted to rush.
• Set up your navigation and entertainment before pulling out of the driveway.

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