(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

It’s a good question ask at the outset of the holiday travel season: how fast and risky are New England drivers? Let’s take a look.

 

The team from Assurance IQ undertook an up-close examination of driving habits all across the United States. What they ended up with was this study they called Comparing Driving Speed Vs. Risk in the U.S. The goal was to get a clearer picture of the impact of our driving habits on how safe we are on the roads, and the goal was achieved. There’s some interesting, useful information here.

 

First, though: the methodology. The Assurance team focused on two main metrics: driving speed and driving risk. Each metric yielded a score for each state. “The Driving Speed Score was derived from a survey conducted across 44 states, taking into account the respondents’ reported average MPH over the speed limit and the average number of times they have been pulled over while driving.”

 

How Fast and Risky Are New England Drivers?

The driving risk score, on the other hand, was based on the number of fatal automobile crashes per 1,000 vehicle registrations. The also looked at how often drivers in each state spent driving over 70 mph. You can see the scores for all 44 states if you dig into the entire study here, or just keep scrolling and check out my breakdown of scores in five of the six New England states. Each score is out of 10.

 

And speaking of holiday travel, if you’re planning on traveling by automobile in the Boston area for the Thanksgiving holiday, you’ll want to check this out, too. It’s a round up of the best times to drive around Thanksgiving and–more importantly–the worst. So between this and that, you have a good deal of information to make sure to make good choices on the roads. Happy Holidays!

  • 1) Connecticut

    Driving Speed Score: 5.23

    Driving Risk Score: 3.26

    I’m honestly shocked Connecticut’s Driving Speed Score didn’t top the list, as it’s the cut-through state for MA-NY drivers.

  • 2) Maine

    Driving Speed Score: 5.50

    Driving Risk Score: 4.04

    I spend a lot of time driving in Maine and I’m here to tell you: I’ll take Maine drivers for safety and speed over Masshole every day of the week.

  • 3) Massachusetts

    Driving Speed Score: 6.33

    Driving Risk Score: 2.44

    I’m guessing the Risk Score is lower because people in MA have been driving like maniacs for so long that they’re now able to safely drive like maniacs.

  • 4) New Hampshire

    Driving Speed Score: 8.18

    Driving Risk Score: 2.61

    New Hampshire topped the list with the highest Driving Speed Score! Way to go, Granite State!

  • 5) Rhode Island

    Driving Speed Score: 5.51

    Driving Risk Score: 1.63

    Low-risk Rhody. See that? I just invented a new nickname for Rhode Island. Or, driving in Rhode Island.

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