Which states have the worst drivers? Rhode Island is one of them, according to a new study.

The online marketplace platform LendingTree released a new study revealing the worst drivers across the country, and Rhode Island took the second spot.

The silver lining is you can still say Massachusetts drivers are worse, as they took the top spot.

The study was compiled based on insurance inquiries from November 2023 to November 2024. Researchers tallied the number of accidents, DUIs, speeding-related incidents and general citations and calculated the total per 1,000 drivers in each state.

Alternatively, other New England states like Vermont and New Hampshire were ranked among the best drivers around the country.

Why does Rhode Island have bad drivers?

Rhode Island has the second worst drivers in the country because it has one of the highest rates of driving-related incidents, at 60.6 incidents per 1,000 drivers between November 2023 and November 2024.

The only state with a higher rate, Massachusetts, has 61.1 incidents per 1,000 drivers.

Rhode Island has the second-highest accident rate, at 39.7, tying with California.

The Ocean State also ties with Wisconsin for the 13th-highest DUI rate, at 1.9.

As for speeding-related incidents, Rhode Island ties with Hawaii as the 28th-worst at a rate of 2.4 incidents per 1,000 drivers.

Which states have the worst drivers?

These are the states with the worst drivers, according to LendingTree:

1. Massachusetts
2. Rhode Island
3. California
4. District of Columbia
5. New Jersey
6. North Carolina
7. Washington
8. Maryland
9. North Dakota
10. Utah

Which states have the best drivers?

These states have the lowest number of driving-related incidents per 1,000 drivers, making them the best drivers:

1. Arkansas
2. Michigan
3. Vermont
4. Kentucky
5. Oklahoma
6. Alaska
7. West Virginia
8. Illinois
9. Louisiana
10. Mississippi

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Rhode Island officials sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday for assistance to ensure residents are able to stay enrolled in essential services in response to the RIBridges cyberattack.

In the letter, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representatives Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo asked the federal government to work with the state of Rhode Island to help residents stay enrolled in Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

On Dec. 5, the RIBridges system was hacked by international ransomware group Brain Ciper, which put the personal data of about 500,000 Rhode Island residents at risk, according to officials.

In the letter, officials said RIBridges was shut down, and as a result Rhode Island residents must submit paper applications, rather than online applications, to enroll for their benefits.

Officials said this time period is when people apply to renew coverage, and ask for the government to “grant the state of Rhode Island any assistance and flexibility it requires within all application rules and regulations.”

In the letter, the Rhode Island’s Congressional delegation said:

Dear Secretaries Becerra and Vilsack:

In light of a major cyberattack, we write to urge your Departments to grant the State of Rhode Island flexibility and time to comply with administrative requirements related to its public benefits programs and to provide any additional support to ensure that eligible individuals do not lose access to needed benefits.

On December 5, 2024, RI Bridges, the State of Rhode Island’s integrated online platform for social services, was hacked and the personal data (including names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and bank information) of approximately 500,000 people was stolen and has been held for ransom. The State directed the vendor responsible for administering the platform to shut down RI Bridges in order to remove all malicious code and remediate the threat. Individuals now must submit paper applications to secure their benefits. The impact could be large since RI Bridges manages enrollment and eligibility verifications for programs, including Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and more. HealthSource RI, the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace was also affected by this hack, which comes during the annual open-enrollment period for health insurance, when people apply for or renew coverage.

We appreciate everything your Departments have done already to assist Rhode Island with this situation, but given the scope of this hack and that it has targeted our most vulnerable constituents, we ask that you grant the State of Rhode Island any assistance and flexibility it requires within all application rules and regulations.

Advertisement

Thank you for your attention to this request, and we look forward to your prompt reply.

In the meantime, Rhode Island officials advise residents to protect their data, freeze your credit, monitor your credit, request a free fraud alert on your files, use two-factor authentication for accounts, and be aware.

For more information, call the RIBridges call center at 833-918-6603 or visit cyberaltert.ri.gov.