It’s no secret that drivers of certain car brands have bad reputations---but are these bad reputations warranted? According to the data, it may be in some cases.
An analysis using QuoteWizard by LendingTree insurance quote data determined which car brands have the worst drivers. LendingTree also broke down which brands have the drivers most responsible for accidents, DUIs and other incidents.
Key Findings
Across 30 car brands analyzed, Ram has the worst drivers. Nationally, Ram drivers had 32.90 driving incidents (accidents, DUIs, speeding and citations) per 1,000 drivers from Nov. 14, 2022, through Nov. 14, 2023. Tesla (31.13) and Subaru (30.09) were the only other brands whose drivers had incident rates above 30.00.
Mercury has the best drivers in the year analyzed. Mercury drivers had 15.82 incidents per 1,000 drivers nationally---less than half the rate of incidents among Ram drivers. Pontiac (16.24) and Saturn (16.84) followed.
Looking closer, Ram has the worst drivers in 23 states. That means Ram drivers had the highest incident rates of any brand analyzed in nearly half of all U.S. states. Of the states where Ram dominated, drivers were worst in Massachusetts at 64.44 incidents per 1,000 drivers. Meanwhile, Tesla drivers were the worst in 11 states---the only other brand in the double digits.
Tesla drivers have the highest accident rate. From Nov. 14, 2022, through Nov. 14, 2023, Tesla drivers had 23.54 accidents per 1,000 drivers. Ram (22.76) and Subaru (20.90) were the only other brands with more than 20.00 accidents per 1,000 drivers. Meanwhile, Pontiac (8.41), Mercury (8.96) and Saturn (9.13) were the only brands with fewer than 10.00 accidents per 1,000 drivers.
BMW drivers have the highest DUI rate by a wide margin. BMW drivers had 3.13 DUIs per 1,000 drivers---nearly twice the rate of DUIs among Ram drivers (1.72), the next-highest ranking auto brand. On the other end, Mitsubishi (0.89), Volvo (0.92) and Mercury and Kia drivers (both 0.93) had the lowest DUI rates. Just nine of the 30 brands analyzed had DUI rates below 1.00 among their drivers.
Ram, Tesla and Subaru Have the Worst Drivers
Based on an analysis of 30 brands, Ram has the worst drivers. Nationwide, Ram drivers had 32.90 driving incidents per 1,000 drivers between Nov. 14, 2022, and Nov. 14, 2023. For the study, driving incidents included accidents, DUIs, speeding and citations.
Rams are known for powerful engines with impressive speed and horsepower. The Ram 1500 is particularly notable for its ability to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 7.4 seconds.
Ram drivers finished in the top five among each of the four driving incidents analyzed. Ram drivers had more speeding incidents per 1,000 drivers (4.42) than all the brands analyzed. They also had the second most accidents (22.76) and DUIs (1.72) and the fifth most citations (8.00).
Tesla had the second-worst drivers in the country, with 31.13 driving incidents per 1,000 drivers. The brand was carried by its high number of accidents per 1,000 drivers (23.54) during the period analyzed.
Tesla also produces several vehicles known for their performance. Kelley Blue Book’s 2023 list of the 10 fastest electric cars includes four Teslas.
In third, Subaru drivers had 30.09 driving incidents per 1,000 drivers. Collectively, Ram, Tesla and Subaru were the only three brands whose drivers had incident rates above 30.00.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Mercury drivers were the best in the year analyzed---more than 50% safer than Ram drivers. Nationwide, Mercury drivers had 15.82 incidents per 1,000 drivers, ahead of Pontiac (16.24) and Saturn (16.84).
By State, Ram Has the Worst Drivers Across Nearly Half the U.S.
When you take a closer look by state, Ram has the worst drivers in nearly half the country. Incident rates for Ram drivers are higher than any other brand in 23 states---significantly higher than any of the ones analyzed.
Ram drivers had the highest incident rate in Massachusetts---64.44 per 1,000 drivers. The only state with a higher incident rate for a particular car brand was Rhode Island, where Infiniti drivers had 64.69 incidents per 1,000 drivers.
Another LendingTree study found Rhode Island drivers had the most driving incidents per 1,000 drivers in the country. Meanwhile, Massachusetts and Rhode Island had the highest rate of accidents in the period analyzed.
Tesla drivers had the highest incident rate in 11 states---aside from Ram, Tesla was the only other brand in the double digits. The nine other brands with the highest driving incident rate in a state were Subaru, BMW, Infiniti, Volkswagen, Audi, Lexus, Mazda, Saturn and Volvo.
Tesla Drivers Have the Highest Accident Rate
Tesla drivers have the highest accident rate compared with all the brands analyzed. During the period analyzed, Tesla drivers had 23.54 accidents per 1,000 drivers. Ram (22.76) and Subaru (20.90) were the only other brands with accident rates over 20.00 per 1,000 drivers.
It’s hard to nail down why certain brands may have higher accident rates than others. However, there are indications that certain types of vehicles attract riskier drivers than others.
“Most people who drive minivans seem more interested in getting their kids around town safely than they are in zipping around in a high-horsepower vehicle,” said Rob Bhatt, LendingTree insurance expert and a licensed insurance agent.. Still, he advises that “regardless of the vehicle you drive, it’s important to be responsible behind the wheel. If you look at crash statistics, you’ll see that speeding, impairment and distracted driving are among the leading causes of car crashes. These are all behaviors you can control.”
Three brands’ drivers have accident rates below 10.00. The safest drivers (in terms of accident rates) operate the following brands: Pontiac with 8.41, Mercury with 8.96 and Saturn with 9.13.
BMW Drivers Have the Highest DUI Rate---and It’s Not Close
One of the worst mistakes a driver can make is operating a vehicle while under the influence.
BMW drivers have a significantly higher number of DUIs compared to other drivers---3.13 per 1,000. Ram drivers, with the second highest rate of DUIs, have almost half that amount (1.72).
Nine car brands had drivers with DUI rates below 1.00. Of those nine, Mitsubishi (0.89), Volvo (0.92), Mercury (0.93) and Kia (0.93) drivers had the lowest DUI rates for the period analyzed.
