Have a lead foot? Just can’t help but speed? Enjoy street racing? Come on down to Texas, where you’ll have the best chance of not getting caught. This is really embarrassing, but Texas ranks dead last in enforcement of speeding and reckless driving, according to WalletHub:
Speed kills. We have all been told that since driver’s education class, and yet American drivers routinely exceed the speed limit. Before you underestimate the danger of exceeding the speed limit, consider that in 2016, speeding was a factor in 27 percent of motor vehicle crash deaths. Speeding is costly, too. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that the annual economic cost to society of speeding-related crashes is $40.4 billion.
Another important issue is the impact of speeding on fuel consumption. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), as a rule of thumb, you can assume that every 5 mph you drive over 60 mph will cost you 7 percent more for gasoline.
Some states are tougher on speeding and reckless drivers than others. To find out which states take the hardest line on dangerous driving behavior, WalletHub compared driving laws in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The results and our detailed methodology – along with expert commentary – can be found below.
Strictest States on Speeding and Reckless Driving
| Overall Rank (1=Strictest) |
State | Overall Score | Reckless Penalties Rank |
Speeding Enforcement Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | 20.00 | 1 | 8 |
| 2 | Colorado | 18.00 | 2 | 11 |
| T – 3 | Arizona | 17.00 | 7 | 2 |
| T – 3 | New Mexico | 17.00 | 7 | 2 |
| 5 | California | 16.50 | 4 | 11 |
| 6 | Oregon | 16.00 | 6 | 8 |
| 7 | North Carolina | 14.50 | 12 | 5 |
| T – 8 | Illinois | 14.00 | 16 | 4 |
| T – 8 | Virginia | 14.00 | 25 | 1 |
| T – 8 | Alabama | 14.00 | 7 | 19 |
| T – 8 | Washington | 14.00 | 12 | 8 |
| 12 | Arkansas | 13.50 | 3 | 40 |
| T – 13 | West Virginia | 12.50 | 5 | 36 |
| T – 13 | MaryLand | 12.50 | 25 | 5 |
| 15 | Kansas | 12.00 | 7 | 32 |
| 16 | Iowa | 11.50 | 22 | 17 |
| T – 17 | Wyoming | 11.00 | 11 | 32 |
| T – 17 | Vermont | 11.00 | 12 | 29 |
| T – 17 | Georgia | 11.00 | 25 | 17 |
| T – 20 | District Of Columbia | 10.50 | 34 | 11 |
| T – 20 | New York | 10.50 | 41 | 5 |
| T – 20 | Florida | 10.50 | 34 | 11 |
| T – 20 | Rhode Island | 10.50 | 25 | 19 |
| T – 24 | Hawaii | 10.00 | 25 | 23 |
| T – 24 | Alaska | 10.00 | 16 | 29 |
| T – 24 | Louisiana | 10.00 | 40 | 11 |
| T – 24 | Maine | 10.00 | 16 | 29 |
| 28 | Idaho | 9.50 | 12 | 40 |
| T – 29 | Missouri | 8.50 | 41 | 19 |
| T – 29 | Tennessee | 8.50 | 41 | 19 |
| T – 29 | Pennsylvania | 8.50 | 45 | 11 |
| T – 29 | South Dakota | 8.50 | 16 | 40 |
| T – 29 | Utah | 8.50 | 25 | 32 |
| T – 34 | Indiana | 8.00 | 41 | 23 |
| T – 34 | Connecticut | 8.00 | 25 | 36 |
| T – 34 | Minnesota | 8.00 | 25 | 36 |
| T – 34 | Nevada | 8.00 | 22 | 40 |
| T – 34 | North Dakota | 8.00 | 22 | 40 |
| T – 39 | Massachusetts | 7.00 | 34 | 36 |
| T – 39 | New Hampshire | 7.00 | 16 | 49 |
| T – 39 | Michigan | 7.00 | 16 | 49 |
| T – 39 | Wisconsin | 7.00 | 45 | 23 |
| T – 43 | Kentucky | 6.50 | 45 | 26 |
| T – 43 | Montana | 6.50 | 33 | 45 |
| T – 43 | Ohio | 6.50 | 45 | 26 |
| T – 43 | South Carolina | 6.50 | 45 | 26 |
| T – 47 | Nebraska | 6.00 | 34 | 45 |
| T – 47 | New Jersey | 6.00 | 34 | 45 |
| T – 49 | Oklahoma | 5.50 | 34 | 48 |
| T – 49 | Mississippi | 5.50 | 45 | 32 |
| 51 | Texas | 2.50 | 45 | 51 |
