While most people probably think they’re pretty good drivers, a new report suggests that’s just not the case.
A survey by the Insurance online marketplace EverQuote finds that overall, U.S. drivers score a C rating when it comes to their skills behind the wheel. The report analyzed data from more than 2.7 million car rides and 230 miles driven, looking at bad driver behavior like speeding, use of cellphones and more, and finds that out of a high score of 100, U.S. drivers would get only a 79, making them “C” students.
Speeding is a common risky behavior of American drivers, with 36% of all trips involving a driver going at least 10 miles per hour over the speed limit, earning them an average score of 79. Cellphone use is also particularly bad, with 38% of trips involving a driver using their phone, giving drivers a score of 80. And while those numbers may seem off because more people are using their phones than speeding, the issue is that folks speed for longer amounts of time per drive, making it more dangerous. And those aren’t the only bad behaviors behind the wheel. Drivers earned an 83 for breaking, 85 for risky acceleration and 86 for hard turns.
Overall, drivers in the Midwest earn the highest safe driving rating at 83, followed by the West (82), South (80) and Northeast (75). Northeasterners are particularly bad when it comes to speeding, with 48% of all trips clocking in at speeds above the legal limit. Drivers in the South are the worst when it comes to phone usage, with 41% using their phones behind the wheel, as compared to the rest of the country, while on average, women are slightly better drivers than men (78 vs. 77).
Source: Everqote