Charlotte has some of the worst drivers in the US, says Forbes. Here’s why

Which of North Carolina’s two most populated cites has some of the worst drivers in the country, according to a new study?

It’s not Raleigh.

In Forbes Advisor’s list of cities with the worst drivers published on Thursday, Charlotte landed at No. 15.

How did that happen? To determine which cities had the worst drivers, Forbes Advisor compared the 50 most populated cities across five metrics using data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the U.S. Census Bureau, the study says. A five-year average was used for all metrics, with data from 2017-2021.

The five metrics were:

• Number of people killed in fatal crashes

• Total crashes

• Crashes involving a drunk driver

• Crashes involving a distracted drivers

• Crashes involving speeding

According to the study, Charlotte had roughly 10.18 fatal crashes per 100,000 residents. The city also had 4.12 fatal crashes involving speeding per 100,000 residents, putting it at No. 8 in that category nationally.

Charlotte wasn’t the only North Carolina city that made the list, with Raleigh coming at in No. 43.

Here are the top 10 cities with the worst drivers, according to Forbes Advisor:

1. Albuquerque

2. Memphis

3. Detroit

4. Tucson

5. Kansas City

6. Dallas

7. Louisville

8. Phoenix

9. Fort Worth

10. Tampa

This story was originally published February 13, 2024 at 9:32 AM with the headline "Charlotte has some of the worst drivers in the US, says Forbes. Here’s why."

Evan Moore

The Charlotte Observer

Evan Moore is a service journalism reporter for the Charlotte Observer. He grew up in Denver, North Carolina, where he previously worked as a reporter for the Denver Citizen, and is a UNC Charlotte graduate.