Have you ever been driving down the road when suddenly, you’re cut-off by a crazed driver? Maybe you’ve had to slam on the brakes because the driver ahead of you failed to signal a turn, or perhaps you’ve come close to getting into an accident because a distracted driver blew through a traffic signal.

Anyone that has been a driver on the road has encountered a bad driver. Texting and other distracted driving, speeding, tailgating, and failure to obey signs and laws is not just an annoyance, but all of these factors can contribute to an auto accident.

Encountering these events can lead you to believe that your state has the worst drivers. However, while there are bad drivers in all states, some states have an excessive number. One way that this has been measured is through a study conducted by SmartAsset.

For the 2019 study, SmartAsset evaluated four metrics to determine the states with the worst drivers. The first metric was the percentage of insured drivers within the state. The next metric was the number of DUI arrests per every thousand drivers. The third metric was the frequency of residents to use search engines to find terms including “speeding ticket” or “traffic ticket.” Finally, the number of fatalities per 100,000 miles driven was also evaluated.

Based on this information, SmartAsset found that five out of the top ten states with the worst drivers were located in the South. This includes the number one state for the worst drivers – Mississippi.

Mississippi took the top spot for worst drivers in the nation for two years in a row. This state has one of the lowest rates of insured drivers, a high search volume for driving-related tickets, and a high rate of fatalities. The state does have a fairly low number of DUIs.

Another southern state took the next highest spot. Alabama has a low percentage of insured drivers, a high number of fatalities, and a high rate of search engine searches for driving-related infractions. One positive thing is that this state does have quite a low rate of DUI incidents at 1.82 per 1,000 drivers.

The third state on the list is California. California has a high rate of searched for traffic-related tickets, a low percentage of insured drivers, and a high rate of DUI incidents.

In fourth place are three states – Florida, Nevada, and Texas. Florida has the lowest rate of insured drivers in the nation but a low DUI rate. Nevada has a high number of DUI rates and the highest rate of searched for traffic-related tickets. Texas has a high rate of searches for traffic tickets and a low percentage of insured drivers.

Other states on this list to round out the top 10 states with the worst drivers are Arizona, Alaska, Tennessee, and Missouri.