Study Shows Iowa Drivers Really Are Better Than Illinois Drivers

When it comes to driving, numbers show that Iowa residents may have a headstart on drivers in Illinois.

Let's start with the obvious: terrible drivers are everywhere. These are the ones that don't use their turn signals, tailgate you, and can't seem to stay in their own lanes. Unless the car has a 'student driver' sticker, I really don't have the patience for it.

via GIPHY

There have likely been times you're driving and you even see this stuff on the road and think "wow they're going to get someone killed if they keep driving like that". And that's exactly what Forbes looked into.

Why Iowa Drivers Are Better Than Illinois Drivers

Don't shoot the messenger. Last fall, the Forbes Advisor team released results of a study to look at the most dangerous states for drivers in the U.S. They looked at:

• fatal car accidents per capita by state
• total number of people killed per capita
• the percent change in fatalities between 2019-2020
• percentage of accidents caused by negligent driving

Iowa ranked 41 in the list of Most Dangerous States To Drive In. So as sucky as you think Iowa drivers are, it could get much worse. Iowa actually ranked 10th in the Safest States For Drivers. That study looked at states with a low rate of fatal car accidents per capita and low rates of impaired driving and speeding-related fatalities.

Across the river, for example, you could be dealing with a lot more crap on the road. Illinois ranked 19th in the Most Dangerous States To Drive In. Not sure if this has to do with Chicago but it's likely a factor somewhere in the stats.

So next time you're complaining about Iowa drivers, here's some backup to remind you that it could get worse.