Forbes ranked Kansas City among the worst drivers in America. Here’s why

Joseph Hernandez

June 25, 2024 at 5:36 p.m.·2 min read

More than 212 million people plan to travel this summer, according to a summer travel survey by The Vacationer, a travel journal.

With the July Fourth holiday approaching, the roads will be filled with travelers.

While it’s a time to celebrate at cookouts and gatherings, it’s also a time when roads can become dangerous. There were 2,228 traffic fatalities during the holiday period across the United States from 2018 to 2022, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Using statistics from the NHTSA, Forbes Advisor compared the 50 most populated cities in the U.S. to determine which have the worst drivers.

Where Kansas City finished might not surprise residents.

Where did Kansas City rank?

Kansas City ranked as the fifth-worst in the nation, based on their findings.

Compared to the other city’s number of fatal car crashes involving factors like speeding or distracted drivers, Kansas City finished with a score of 91.19 on a scale of 100.

The city also had the highest number of fatal car accidents involving speeding, total 7.07 per 100,000 residents.

Other information collected from the NHTSA that led to Kansas City’s ranking include:

The fourth-highest number of fatal car accidents involving a drunk driver: 5.34 per 100,000 city residents
The fifth-highest total number of fatal car accidents: 15.71 per 100,000 city residents
The fifth-highest number of people killed in fatal crashes: 16.85 per 100,000 city residents

Albuquerque, New Mexico ranked as the worst city for drivers, according to Forbes Advisor. The city finished with a score of 100 out of 100 and has the highest number of fatal car accidents involving a distracted driver in the country.

Memphis, Tennessee; Detroit, and Tucson, Arizona, all finished ahead of Kansas City.

How did Kansas City receive its Forbes ranking?

To determine which cities have the worst drivers, Forbes Advisor compared the 50 cities across five key metrics:

Number of fatal car accidents per 100,000 city residents: 24% of score.
Number of fatal car accidents involving a drunk driver per 100,000 city residents: 19% of score.
Number of fatal car accidents involving a distracted driver per 100,000 city residents: 19% of score.
Number of fatal car accidents involving speeding per 100,000 city residents: 19% of score.
Number of people killed in fatal crashes per 100,000 city residents: 19% of score.

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Where did Kansas City rank?

How did Kansas City receive its Forbes ranking?

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