Not your imagination
If it was always your conjecture Chattanooga had bad drivers, Consumers Affairs recently analyzed National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data and determined the Scenic City has the 16th worst drivers in the country. More frightening, according to the data, is that it’s getting worse. The city was only 34th worst in the rankings last year.
The city’s rate of fatal crashes involving bad driving per 100,000 people put it seventh among the worst 20, and its total fatalities per 100,000 landed it ninth among the worst 20. It rated worse than the national average on the aforementioned two categories as well as fatalities involving DUIs per 100,000 people, fatalities involving speeding per 100,000 people and fatalities involving positive blood alcohol concentration readings per 100,000 people.
Tennessee, according to the data, must have particularly bad drivers since Memphis and Knoxville were No. 1 and No. 2 on the Consumer Affairs list, respectively. Nashville was 55th and Murfreesboro 191st.