The Worst Driver in America

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You’re driving in busy traffic on the interstate. Who would you rather have driving alongside you, a teen driver texting on his cell phone or an elderly motorist who can barely see above the steering wheel?

And remember, staying out of the car that day is not a possible answer.

Most drivers would have trouble answering this question. The truth is, most of us are a bit leery of both the youngest and the oldest of motorists.

There may be good reason for this, too. There’s a reason why our knuckles go white whenever we notice a teen or elderly driver sliding their car just a bit too close to ours.

Pros and Cons

But which type of driver should really worry us? The best way to answer is to look at the strengths and weaknesses of both kinds of motorists.

Take teens: They have far sharper reflexes than do even middle-aged drivers. They’re also not nearly as tentative as are older drivers. Being too tentative on the road can be just as dangerous as being overly aggressive.

On the downside, teens are often distracted as they’re driving. They might be texting their friends or chatting away on their cell phones, unaware of that STOP sign that they’re running. They also tend to be aggressive on the road. Many teens have the mistaken belief that they are invulnerable. They can’t imagine getting into a serious accident, so they don’t take the precautions necessary to avoid them.

Then there’s the whole issue of impaired driving. I think we can all agree that teens are far more likely to drive after drinking than are senior citizens.

Of course, the seniors don’t notch perfect scores on the safe-driver scale, either.

On the plus side, senior citizens aren’t likely to take as many chances while driving as are their younger peers. They’re also more likely to be conscientious drivers. They’ll let you slide in front of them, for instance, if you need to make a quick lane change.

On the other hand, many senior drivers have dulled reflexes. This can make it far more likely that they’ll ram their vehicles into yours. Others have weak eyesight, something that can greatly increase their chances of an accident.

The Speed Factor

Then there’s the speed factor. Most people assume that teens are more dangerous drivers because they’re more likely to speed.

But the truth is, driving too slowly for traffic is equally as dangerous. And senior citizens are far more likely to be guilty of this driving no-no than are teens.

Look at what slow driving causes other motorists to do. We’ve all been stuck behind motorists who can’t quite reach the speed limit. What do we do? We often get aggressive. We’ll try to roar around the offending car. We might tailgate in an ill-advised attempt to get the car in front of us to move faster.

These actions are extremely dangerous. And they can easily lead to serious accidents.

Who’s the Worst?

Taking all this into consideration, which drivers are the worst, the elderly or the teens?

Sorry to disappoint, but there’s no clear cut winner. But as the infographic attached to this story shows, the elderly have a higher rate of accidents than do teen drivers. At the same time, teen drivers are out on the roads in far greater numbers than are seniors.

Our advice? Stay off the roads. There are too many crazy drivers, young, old, and in-between, out there. You’re far safer on your couch than you are behind the wheel.