Is your city on the list? WA’s best and worst drivers ranked in new report

Oct 19, 2025, 5:00 AM

Rush hour traffic is lighter than normal during the morning commute heading in and out of Seattle on Interstate 5 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo: Karen Ducey, Getty Images)

(Photo: Karen Ducey, Getty Images)

BY JULIA DALLAS

MyNorthwest Content Editor

A new report by LendingTree revealed the best and worst drivers in Washington.

Using 2024 insurance inquiry data, LendingTree found that the city with the best drivers in Washington was Seattle. The city with the second-best drivers was tied between Shoreline and Renton. Third-best was Pasco, while fourth was Everett.

Meanwhile, the city with the worst drivers within the state was Olympia. The city with the second-worst drivers was Kirkland, third was Spokane, fourth was Lacey, and fifth was Redmond.

“We looked at tens of thousands of 2024 QuoteWizard by LendingTree insurance inquiries to see which Washington cities have the best and worst drivers,” auto insurance expert Rob Bhatt explained in an email to MyNorthwest. “From there, researchers calculated how many driving incidents, like accidents, DUIs, speeding, and citations, occurred for every 1,000 drivers in the 25 biggest cities in the state.”

Genz found to be worst drivers in Washington

LendingTree also discovered that Gen Z were significantly worse drivers than any other age group in Washington.

Gen Z had the most incidents per 1,000 drivers of all the generations analyzed, at 63.7 incidents per 1,000 drivers. Millennials had the second-highest rate with 41.1 incidents, followed by Gen X, ranking third, and Boomers, ranking fourth. The Silent Generation had the best drivers in Washington.

“Young drivers, in general, tend to have a higher rate of incidents than older drivers for a number of reasons,” Bhatt stated. “Most notably, they have less driving experience than older drivers, and this can lead to mishaps or worse. Younger people are more prone to riskier behavior than older drivers, too.”

Looking at drivers by vehicle type

By vehicle type, Subaru drivers were ranked the worst in Washington, followed by Mazda as the second-worst, Ram, Volkswagen, and Jeep. Meanwhile, Volvo drivers were ranked the best, followed by Chrysler in second, Pontiac in third, Mercedes-Benz in fourth, and Land Rover in fifth.

Bhatt urged drivers to stay vigilant, among other recommendations, to prevent collisions.

“Avoiding excessive speeds, impairment, and distraction is a good start,” he stated. “It’s also important to maintain an awareness of your surroundings. Doing so allows you to avoid hazards that may unexpectedly pop up as you drive. Situational awareness can also help you avoid doing something that may get you cited, like driving too fast or making an illegal turn.”

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