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The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
Two Tennessee cities have landed at the top of a national ranking for the worst drivers in the United States, according to a new report from Consumer Affairs.
Memphis was ranked number one for the third consecutive year, while Knoxville jumped to number two in the 2025 report which is a significant rise from 25th place in 2024.
The study analyzed fatal crash data and found that Knoxville had nearly three times the national average of those involving “bad driving” with 13.94 fatal crashes per 100,000 residents. Speeding-related fatalities in the city were also disproportionately high, contributing to its rise in the rankings.
Memphis, which has consistently held the top spot since 2023, saw 143 of the state’s 902 traffic fatalities in 2024, according to data from the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. Knoxville accounted for 43 fatalities during the same period.
The report from Consumer Affairs cited multiple factors contributing to the high crash rates, including demographics, road design, traffic law enforcement, and infrastructure policy.
“The experience in any city results from a combination of demographic factors, roadway design and layout, policies, and enforcement of traffic laws,” said Joe Young, a spokesperson for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “Dangerous roads aren’t just a result of the people driving them, but also policies and designs that allow for or encourage those behaviors.”
In response to the statistics, Knoxville has taken proactive steps to improve roadway safety. The city recently adopted the Vision Zero Action Plan, which aims to eliminate traffic deaths on city-controlled roads by 2040. Measures already implemented include new speed cameras, curb extensions, and retractable barriers to slow down traffic and improve pedestrian safety.
Following Memphis and Knoxville as the top 10 worst driving cities:
- Waterbury, Connecticut
- Aurora, Colorado
- Tucson, Arizona
- Kansas City, Missouri
- San Bernardino, California
- Billings, Montana
- Miami Gardens, Florida
- Charleston, South Carolina
In addition to statistics related to poor driving, the report also mentions initiatives taken to increase safety, such as Knoxville’s Vision Zero Action Plan which includes goals that seek to bring the number of traffic related deaths to zero by 2040, as well as the addition of speed cameras and retractable barriers in the city.
One Response
I don’t think Knoxville actually has bad drivers but instead we have BAD Roadways!! The road engineers made huge mistakes by not planning for increased traffic on 75/275 & 40/640. These roads are not suitable for the amount of traffic coming thru Knoxville along with the local commuters. Gov Lee was also worthless on fixing our roadways. He bragged about having huge surpluses in the state budget, but never lifted a finger to put any substantial funds towards the highways!
Bad Roadways = Bad Drivers.