If you’ve lived in Utah for very long, you might have plenty of complaints about the drivers here. From impatient drivers who weave through downtown streets to clueless folks busy texting on their cellphones on I-15, this can be a scary place to drive.
The website QuoteWizard.com completes a study every year to determine where the best and worst drivers in the country live. In 2016, Salt Lake City, Utah came in number one as the worst in the nation. In 2017, we did a little better, placing 3rd in the nation for worst drives, and things were really looking up in 2018 when Salt Lake City fell all the way to 9th worst. The latest results just came out for 2019, and let’s just say that there’s certainly no reason to celebrate.
According to the findings of QuoteWizard.com, Salt Lake City, Utah has the sixth-worst drivers in the nation. If you’ve spent any time on I-15 (or, let’s be honest — any of the city’s surface streets), you might agree.
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It can be a scary proposition to drive here. QuoteWizard.com looked at several factors to create its list of top 10 worst driving cities: accidents, speeding tickets, DUIs, and other citations.
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Since many spots in the state have a speed limit of 70 or 80 mph, you’d think that we wouldn’t feel the need to break the law. Apparently, that’s not the case. According to report by KSL.com, in 2018, Utah police offers issued 10,846 tickets for speeding across the state.
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Distracted driving, running red lights, failing to use your turn signal, and other violations are also clearly issues for Utah’s drivers.
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While we’re overall not doing well, there is one bright spot — our rate of DUIs has continually decreased over the last 10 years. Still, in 2018, there were 10,383 DUI arrests in Utah.
GregorBister/E+/via Getty Images *Statistic from the Sixteenth Annual DUI Report to the Utah Legislature by the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice.
Our ranking might not be completely due to bad driving — our weather could have some affect, too. With snowy, icy roads, fender-benders and more serious accidents pile up.
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Ask a law enforcement officer in Salt Lake City what he or she thinks about Utah drivers, and you might hear all kinds of stories about the crazy things drivers here do on the road.
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Though we may make some excuses here and there, the fact is that our capital city continues to make this list, so there’s certainly some reason for pause.
4kodiak/E+ Collection/via Getty Images Here’s the bottom line: it never hurts to pay attention to your driving habits. Slow down, use your signals to turn or change lanes, stop for red lights and stop signs, and put down your cell phone!
What do you think? Do Utah drivers deserve this ranking? Tell us about some of the scary things you’ve seen on the streets and freeways around Salt Lake City.
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*Statistic from the Sixteenth Annual DUI Report to the Utah Legislature by the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice.
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Here’s the bottom line: it never hurts to pay attention to your driving habits. Slow down, use your signals to turn or change lanes, stop for red lights and stop signs, and put down your cell phone!
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Address: Salt Lake City, UT, USA
