Wrong direction

San Antonio swerves onto new list of U.S. cities with the worst drivers

Don't drive distracted, San Antonio.

San Antonians may be distracted at the wheel but they know one thing: Their driving isn't cutting it. The city is one of the 15 U.S. cities with the worst drivers, according to a new study by Forbes Advisor.

In its report "Cities With The Worst Drivers, Ranked," published February 8, Forbes Advisor analyzed the 50 most populated U.S. cities across five metrics to determine which have the worst drivers in the country. Those metrics, calculated per 100,000 city residents using a five-year average from 2017-2021, were: total number of fatal car accidents, number of people killed in fatal crashes, and number of fatal car accidents involving a drunk, distracted, or speeding driver.

San Antonio ranked No. 12 overall, earning a score of 76.09 points out of a possible 100. In this case, a higher score means worse driving, so that's not the flex it might sound like.

The report found that 10.46 total fatal crashes occur for every 100,000 residents in San Antonio, with more than 10 people per 100,000 residents (10.90) killed.

Where drunk drivers are involved, San Antonio ranked No. 7 for the highest per-capita number of fatal crashes. More than 4 fatal drunk driving crashes (4.56) occurred per 100,000 residents. The state of Texas a whole still struggles with drunk drivers. More than five people are killed in car crashes involving a drunk driver for every 100,000 Texans, according to a 2023 Forbes report.

Here's how San Antonio fared in the remaining categories:

No. 3 – Number of fatal crashes involving a distracted driver (2.29 per 100,000 residents)
No. 17 – Number of fatal crashes involving speeding (3.11 per 100,000 residents)

Forbes Advisor concluded that three of the top-15 U.S. cities with the worst drivers were located in Texas. Dallas (No. 6) earned a score of 90.97 points to take the crown for the city with the worst drivers in the state. Fort Worth (No. 9) also earned a top-10 spot. Houston and Austin were basically average at Nos. 23 and 24, respectively.

The report found Dallas had the third-highest number of fatal car accidents involving a drunk driver, with 6.25 crashes per 100,000 residents. Dallas also ranked No. 4 in the category for the highest number of fatal car accidents involving speeding: 5.69 per 100,000 residents.

The most dangerous U.S. city to drive in, Forbes says, is Albuquerque, New Mexico. Albuquerque leads with the highest number of fatal car accidents involving a distracted driver, at 5.42 crashes per 100,000 city residents.

The top 10 U.S. cities with the worst drivers are:

No. 1 – Albuquerque, New Mexico
No. 2 – Memphis, Tennessee
No. 3 – Detroit, Michigan
No. 4 – Tuscon, Arizona
No. 5 – Kansas City, Missouri
No. 6 – Dallas, Texas
No. 7 – Louisville, Kentucky
No. 8 – Phoenix, Arizona
No. 9 – Fort Worth, Texas
No. 10 – Tampa, Florida

The study calculated five-year averages using data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality and Injury Reporting System Tool for the years 2017-2021, and U.S. Census Bureau city population data from 2022.

The report and its methodology can be found on forbes.com.

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State Fair News

Texas drivers can now say 'howdy' with State Fair themed license plate

SFOT

State Fair of Texas license plate.

State Fair of Texas fans can now display their love on their license plate: The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Board of Directors has given their approval for a State Fair of Texas specialty license plate, marking an exciting milestone for Fair enthusiasts, not to mention supporters of higher education.

Texans will be able to purchase the custom-designed plates starting in 2025. The plate features Texas icon Big Tex and his signature, “Howdy, Folks!”

The Big Tex Scholarship Program provides scholarships to graduating high school seniors from across the state of Texas. Beneficiaries include students who have participated in livestock events at the State Fair; graduating seniors from six Dallas Independent School District high schools near Fair Park; and longtime seasonal employees of the State Fair of Texas or their dependents.

The Big Tex Scholarship Program has awarded more than $18.8 million to more than 3,500 Texas students since 1992.

Texas license plates come in all sorts of themes: military, high schools, Texas institutions, hobbies, nature, sports, fraternities & sororities, and charities.

“The State Fair of Texas is a cherished tradition, and this new specialty license plate provides an incredible opportunity for Texans to showcase their pride while supporting Texas students,” said Karissa Condoianis, SVP of Public Relations.

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