The worst cities for driving in the U.S., according to recent reports, include seven in California: Oakland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, Victorville, and San Bernardino.
Study: Worst drivers are in Memphis and Victorville
American cities with the worst drivers in 2024 are Memphis, Tennessee, which topped the list, and Victorville, which landed at No. 2, according to ConsumerAffairs. The news and advocacy organization based its findings on data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Victorville saw the nation's second-highest number of traffic deaths that involved a high blood alcohol content in 2022: 13.4 fatalities per 100,000 people, ConsumerAffairs reported.
During the same year, Victorville had the fifth-highest number of fatalities related to speeding: 11.2 per 100,000 people, according to ConsumerAffairs.
The other California city among the list's five worst cities in 2024 was San Bernardino at No. 4.
In 2022, San Bernardino experienced the nation's highest rate of fatalities that involved driving under the influence — 7.7 per 100,000 people, ConsumerAffairs reported. During the same year, San Bernardino ranked fourth in fatalities connected to speeding — 11.3 per 100,000 people.
Other California cities on list for worst drivers
Four other California cities were on ConsumerAffairs' list for the 50 cities with the worst drivers in the U.S.:
- 31. Fontana
- 40. Riverside
- 43. Orange
- 47. Corona
California is ranked No. 33 on the ConsumerAffairs list of states with the worst drivers. Montana topped the list, followed by New Mexico, South Carolina, Wyoming and Arkansas.
WalletHub: Oakland's the worst
WalletHub, a personal finance company, listed 100 U.S. cities for driving experiences from best to worst. They were judged on traffic, infrastructure, safety, and vehicle ownership and maintenance costs.
Oakland landed at No. 100, making it the worst city in America on WalletHub's list.
San Francisco and Los Angeles were near the bottom as well, as Nos. 98 and 97, respectively. San Jose was No. 91.
Also in the bottom 20 were San Diego, No. 87; San Bernardino, No. 84, and Stockton, No. 81.
Other cities on WalletHub list
Other California cities on the WalletHub list for driving experiences were:
- 40. Irvine
- 66. Anaheim
- 68. Riverside
- 69. Chula Vista
- 72. Fresno
- 73. Bakersfield
- 74. Santa Ana
- 77. Sacramento
- 78. Fremont
- 79. Long Beach
The best city to drive in? According to WalletHub, that’s Raleigh, North Carolina, because of its safe driving, low traffic congestion and inexpensive costs for new cars, vehicle maintenance and insurance. Boise, Idaho, was No. 2, followed by Corpus Christi, Texas; Greensboro, North Carolina; and Jacksonville, Florida.
Although it’s known for its bumper-to-bumper traffic, Los Angeles didn’t make the WalletHub list for the most time spent during traffic congestion. Those cities were Miami, Philadelphia, New York, Boston and Chicago.
WalletHub said cities with the least congestion were Wichita, Kansas; Lubbock, Texas; Tulsa, Oklahoma: Greensboro, North Carolina; El Paso, Texas, and Lincoln, Nebraska.
The rain factor in driving
Rain plays a factor in driving in Los Angeles, where officials urge motorists unaccustomed to precipitation to slow down. See the 2018 video attached to this story.
Dave Mason covers East County for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at dave.mason@vcstar.com or 805-437-0232.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: You aren't imagining it. Yes, California does have some of the nation's worst drivers
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