Only 3 States Have Worse Drivers Than Florida

As a Florida resident, I'm very aware of how dangerous our roads can be. But there are 3 states that have even worse drivers. Not possible you say? Let's go to the data.

Here's an incident involving a Florida driver from earlier this week. My girl and I were on 41 near San Carlos Park. She turned on her signal to go from the right lane to the center lane to get around the slow moving traffic. As she moved into the center lane, a car from the far left lane moved into the center lane behind us. Rather than give ground, the other driver laid on his horn and took the center lane. If she didn't move back to the right lane he would have hit her. If you live here in Fort Myers, you have a story like that just about every single week.

A 2024 study by The Barnes Firm analyzed all 50 states to determine the ones with the most reckless drivers. Looks like you'll incur even worse drivers on the West Coast. California tops the list of the most reckless drivers, having severe issues with DUI arrests and fatal crashes. But California isn't the only state worse than Florida.

California isn't as hot as the others, but is it possible that the weather has a role in the reckless drivers? Especially now in summer. Here's how the injury attorneys broke down the worse drivers in the country:

California ranks 1st for having the most reckless drivers, with a composite score of 9.1. The state leads in fatal crashes involving speeding, totaling 1,285, and alcohol-related incidents, with 2,385 fatalities. Additionally, DUI arrests are relatively high at 311 per 100K people, contributing to California's hazardous driving conditions. California also leads in the number of licensed drivers, totaling more than 27,112,000.

Texas is 2nd with a composite score of 9.1. This high score is largely due to the state's alarming number of alcohol-related fatal crashes, totaling 3,143—the highest in the nation. Additionally, Texas faces significant issues with road rage, impacting overall driving safety. The state also leads in fatal crashes caused by distracted drivers, with 447 incidents in 2022.

Arizona ranks 3rd for having the most reckless drivers, with a composite score of 8.0. The state experiences a high number of speeding-related fatal crashes at 376 and alcohol-involved crashes at 737. Arizona also has the highest percentage of drivers having road rage, further increasing the risk on its roads.

Florida comes 4th with a composite score of 7.1. The state has a significant number of fatal crashes caused by distracted drivers, totaling 250, and a high rate of uninsured drivers at 20.4%. These factors, combined with a notable level of road rage incidents, make Florida one of the states with the most dangerous drivers.

Despite the data, I swear we have much worse drivers here in Southwest Florida. Here's another first hand account. bACK IN 2021, I was coming south on 41 in Estero near the Wal Mart. I came to a stop at the red light, but the car behind me didn't. BAM.

He didn't hit me hard, but enough to punch a hole in my back bumper. When I got out of my car (in traffic) to check, I also noticed a Lee County Sherriff a couple cars back. I told the driver that hit me that there's a cop back there that saw him hit me and to pull into Sprouts. I then went and told the deputy what we were doing and he agreed to follow. Good thing that's a long light.

We exchanged insurance information and went on our way. It was only weeks later, after I got my bumper fixed, that I found out he didn't have insurance. But - it looked legit. (I crossed out his name and VIN).

So I went to the Lee County Sheriffs Office Community Outreach Center at Coconut Point. It was there that I found out that there's a common tactic that the worse drivers in town use. They sign up for car insurance on a monthly payment plan. After they make the first payment and get their insurance card, they cancel it. I was told I'd need to take him to court.

So, I looked up his address and saw where he lived on Google Maps. Dude was living in a shanty. Even if I successfully sued him, I'm sure I'd never see any money. In the end, my insurance company paid $250 and I had to pay the other $1,000 to fix my car. So Florida drivers are only the 4th worse drivers in the country?

A thousand dollars says they ARE the worst.

Weekend events are heating up in Fort Myers, Cape Coral and Naples. It's the end of June and the precursor to a big week of celebrating the 4th of July. However, you don't have to wait to have Southwest Florida weekend fun. Here are your Weekend Vibes for June 28th through the 30th.

The 4th of July is not until Thursday, but some communities are kicking off the party early. Southwest Florida weekend fun includes some fireworks and patriotic pub crawls too.

Are you a tattoo enthusiast? You might enjoy this unique event in downtown Fort Myers. It's a tattoo expo. Meet artists, check out the vendors and even arrange to get some ink for yourself. More details are below.

The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels take to the mound for a series with the Tampa Tarpons and there are all kinds of promotions taking place to enhance the fun. This weekend wraps up PRIDE month as well as Caribbean Heritage month. Check out the cultural celebration featuring island music and food in Punta Gorda.

Remember, if you have any upcoming events that you would like to share, please send them here. Here are your Weekend Vibes for June 28th through the 30th.

There are lots of things to keep you busy this weekend in the Port Charlotte, Fort Myers and Naples area. If you can, get out and support local events and business.

*Please note, events are subject to change. Especially considering the weather. It never hurts to confirm with a phone call or a quick check of social media and event websites.

This annual event is Saturday at Laishley Park in Punta Gorda. The daylong event features a variety of family friendly activities including water slides and a kids zone. Enjoy live music from national recording artists too. At 9pm fireworks are scheduled to light up the sky. Gates open at noon. Tickets start at $5. More info here.

Meet more than 200 tattoo artists from Florida and around the world this weekend at the Caloosa Sound Convention Center in downtown Fort Myers. Not only can you get a tattoo, but you can also interact with a variety of tattoo related vendors. There are contests and live entertainment too. 11am to 11pm Friday and Saturday. Sunday 11 am to 7pm. Tickets start at $20 in advance. More info here.

This is a festive 4th of July bar crawl in downtown Cape Coral on Saturday. Grab a passport and check in at the bars and restaurants on the list for drink and food specials. Wear patriotic attire and win prizes. Limo buses will help get you to and from the various stops. Tickets $25 in advance. The party runs from 7 to 11pm. More info here. 

The Mighty Mussels are in town this weekend taking on the Tampa Tarpons from Thursday to Sunday. Enjoy fireworks after the game on Friday. Saturday is Bark In The Park where dogs are welcome. It's also Family Night. Former MLB player and manager Clint Hurdle is special guest. He'll sign autographs then talk about faith and baseball following the game.  

Sunday kids get free admission and get to run the bases. More info here. 

A new show opens this weekend at Broadway Palm Dinner Theater in Fort Myers. Marry Poppins. It's the stage version of the iconic movie and all of your favorite songs are included. The show runs through August 10. Tickets start at $25. More info here. 

This family friendly event celebrates the food music and culture of all of the Caribbean Islands. Charlotte County Fair Grounds. Saturday from noon to 10pm. Kids under 12 free with an adult. Tickets start at $35 in advance. More info here.  

It's happening all across the country to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Ace Hardware. In Bonita Springs, Sunshine Ace Hardware is hosting an Old Florida Roaring ‘20s party. Check out antique cars and Big Green Egg Chef Shannon Morgan, aka the Big Green Egg Foodie. Enjoy free grilled foods, drinks and all kinds of entertainment.  The party is Saturday from 9am to noon at Sunshine Ace Hardware on Bonita Beach Road.  More info here.