Rhode Island Drivers Are 4th Safest In The U.S.: Study

RHODE ISLAND — The stereotype that Rhode Islanders are some of the worst drivers in the country may not be true, after all, according to a new study by AutoInsurance.org.

Researchers analyzed a range of metrics, including fatality rates, drunken driving, and careless driving rates to rank the states with the best drivers. Rhode Island was ranked fourth overall, with careless driving cited as the state's best category.

In 2018, just eight pedestrians and cyclists were killed in Rhode Island, out of 59 total traffic deaths. That's a rate of one cyclist or pedestrian death per 100,000 residents, the second-best in the country.

Rhode Island's worst category was speeding. In 2018, 27 people died in crashes, or 45.8 percent of all traffic deaths. That's a rate of three deaths per 1,000 people, which, while better than many other states, is a far worse score than other categories.

Nationally, drunken driving accounted for 10,512, or 29 percent, of all driving fatalities in 2018. That was the highest category for traffic deaths, followed by speeding (26 percent) and careless driving (20 percent).

States With The Safest Drivers

1. Massachusetts
2. Minnesota
3. New York
4. Rhode Island
5. New Jersey
6. Utah
7. District of Columbia
8. Washington
9. Iowa
10. Maine

Read the complete study here.

Patch editor Dave Copeland contributed to this report.