The open road can be a very dangerous and unpredictable place.
Although defensive driving techniques can be taught, dashcams can be installed, along with other preventative methods and gizmos, moving violations, road rage and accidents can happen to the best of self-declared "good drivers."
Many experienced motorists can name specific brands whose owners can be labeled as "bad drivers" – but a study found that one very popular Stellantis brand (STLA) -) tops the list of worst drivers.
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A recent study by LendingTree analyzed tens of millions of insurance quotes from QuoteWizard from Nov. 14, 2022 to 2023 and looked at the average rate of driving incidents, which include accidents, DUIs (driving while intoxicated) instances, speeding tickets and driving citations that include careless/reckless driving, failing to signal, as well as failure to yield.
Online lending marketplace found one manufacturer stood out
According to its data, Stellantis' pickup truck brand Ram Trucks had the worst drivers, with 32.90 driving incidents per 1,000 drivers. In close second, with 31.13 driving incidents per 1,000 drivers is Elon Musk's Tesla (TSLA) -) brand of EVs and Japanese manufacturer Subaru (FUJHY) -) not far behind in third with 30.09.
Rounding out the Top 10 was Volkswagen (VLKAF) -) in fourth with 27.92, Mazda (MZDAY) -) in fifth with 27.74, German luxury brand BMW (BMWYY) -) in sixth with 26.82, Toyota-backed (TM) -) luxury brand Lexus in seventh with 26.73, Nissan-backed (NSANY) -) luxury brand Infiniti close by in eighth with 26.72, South Korean Hyundai (HYMLF) -) in ninth with 25.47 and Toyota itself in the tenth spot with 25.13.
Drivers in different manufacturer's cars stand out in different incidents
Breaking down the data, LendingTree found that different drivers driving cars from different manufacturers stood out in different types of driving incidents they analyzed.
According to the data, Tesla drivers had the highest accident rate compared to all of the manufacturers, with 23.54 accidents per 1,000 drivers.
Ram drivers on the other hand, were the most prolific speeders, with 4.42 speeding incidents per 1,000 drivers.
The data also found that BMW drivers have the highest rate of DUIs compared to other drivers, with 3.13 DUIs per 1,000 drivers – about double the second highest rate by Ram trucks with 1.72 DUIs per 1,000 drivers.
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LendingTree experts emphasize that the kind of vehicle you drive is not the lone red flag to insurance companies for higher premiums, as your personal driving record greatly impacts how much your rate will be.
“A vehicle’s crash rate is just one of the factors insurance companies look at to determine how risky a particular model may be to insure,” LendingTree insurance expert and licensed insurance agent Rob Bhatt said. “That said, a prior ticket, accident or DUI on your driving record usually has a bigger impact on your rates than your vehicle’s safety record.”
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