Tampa Ranks Top 10 For Worst Drivers In Country: Here’s Why

There’s no doubt about it, driving in Florida seems to get worse by the day. In the winter, the snowbirds take over the roads driving 15 under the limit while you have wannabe street racers plowing through the streets in their stock civics. No matter where you’re at, traffic is always worse with bad drivers, but one Florida city has some of the worst drivers in the country.

Forbes Advisor recently compiled a list of the top 25 cities with the worst drivers with one Florida city ranking in the top 10 and another in the top 15. Fatal car accidents are on the rise throughout the entire United States. Deadly accidents are up by nearly 10% from 2020 to 2022 and don’t show signs of stopping.

Forbes took the 50 largest cities in the United States and compared them across 5 key metrics. They based city size on population. The key metrics used in this study are, the number of people killed in fatal crashes, total crashes, crashes involving a drunk driver, involving a distracted driver, and involving speeding.

There’s never been more distractions on the road than there are in today’s world. You have smartphones, touchscreen radios, hands-free driving (insanity), and more. 

Just a few weeks ago in Largo, there was a fatal crash on East Bay where two people died. A man was driving at 92 miles per hour in Pinellas County when he smashed into a vehicle at an intersection killing the two passengers in the car he hit. Try and cross the Howard Franklin at rush hour. There's at least 10 near misses that could be out of Vin Diesel's next Fast and Furious movie.

So, what are the worst cities to drive in the United States and Florida? Albuquerque, New Mexico ranks as the #1 worst drivers. They have a high rate of fatal accidents with drunk drivers and distracted drivers. 5.42 fatal accidents occur per 100,000 residents in the city.

Memphis, Tennessee comes in at the #2 spot as a close second with the highest total number of fatal car accidents and the highest number of people killed in fatal car crashes (25.56 per 100,000 residents). Would the real slim shady please stand up? Detroit ranks #3 and the 8th highest for fatal accidents with a distracted driver and has the highest number of fatal accidents caused by drunk driving.

Tampa clocks in as the #10 worst city for driving and Jacksonville ranks #14. Shocker. Tampa has the 8th highest number of fatal accidents with 14.47 fatal accidents per 100,000 residents. With the 9th highest number of people killed in fatal crashes, Tampa has 15.42 killed per 100,000 residents. Distracted driving is a big issue here in Tampa ranking the 14th-highest for fatal accidents. 

To learn more about the other cities ranking in this study, click here.

It's always interesting to see which cities are considered safe and dangerous in the US. It can also be helpful if you're planning a big move. Now, there's a new study out that pinpoints the most dangerous cities in America.

The new study comes from Noradarealestate.com. In it, they say, "From gang violence to high levels of property crime, these cities have earned their spots on the list." Yikes.

Before we get to the crime in each region of the country, let's look at some of the No. 1s in this study. According to Noradarealestate.com, the "FBI's most dangerous city" in the West is Stockton, California. In the Midwest, it's St. Louis, Missouri. Then, in the South, it's Baltimore, Maryland; and in the Northeast, it's Hartford, Connecticut. Noradarealestate.com notes that even though these cities are dangerous in the report, "each of these cities has also demonstrated resilience and a commitment to addressing these issues through various initiatives and collaborative efforts. By focusing on community engagement, comprehensive strategies, and investment in socio-economic development, these cities can work towards creating safer, more inclusive, and prosperous communities for all residents." So, it's not all dismal. There is definitely hope.

So, what's the most dangerous city in America? Detroit. "The violent crime index, encompassing homicides, robberies, and aggravated assaults, is alarmingly high," the study states. "The prevalence of guns and gang activity further exacerbates the issue, making Detroit a concerning place in terms of personal safety." That said, I love Detroit, and even though it's good to see which cities are trending up and down in terms of crime, remember that every city has its good and bad areas. So, don't write these towns off your list because of one study. Find the full study from Noradarealestate.com here.

Check out the most dangerous cities in America by region below, via the latest FBI data.

No. 1 on the FBI's list is Stockton, California, with a population of 308,348. Other cities in the top five include San Bernardino, California; Oakland, California; Anchorage, Alaska; and Pueblo, Colorado. Find the full FBI data here.

No. 1 on the FBI's list is Baltimore, Maryland. Other cities in the top five include Memphis, Tennessee; Little Rock, Arkansas; Nashville, Tennessee; and New Orleans, Louisiana. Find the full FBI data here.

No. 1 on the FBI's list is St. Louis, Missouri. Other cities in the top five include Kansas City, Missouri; Rockford, Illinois; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Find the full FBI data here.

No. 1 on the FBI's list is Hartford, Connecticut. Other cities in the top five include Buffalo, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Rochester, New York; and Bridgeport, Connecticut. Find the full FBI data here.