Many people believe the worst drivers reside in the state with America's most populous city. U.S. Census figures dispute the assumption. Statistics, based on traffic deaths for every 100 million traveled miles, reveal that people are at least twice as likely to die from a car accident in one of the least populated states than they are in a New York motor vehicle accident.

Shockingly, a 2011 study found that an estimated one in five U.S. motorists were unqualified to hold a license to drive. About 37 million drivers failed to pass an insurance company-sponsored national driver's test, which contained questions commonly found on state driving exams.

When New Yorkers think of irresponsible driving, drinking and driving likely comes to mind. Recent data shows us who motorists should be looking out for. More than 80 percent of the time, men can be held accountable for drunk driving incidents, according to a 2010 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly one-third of all drunk driving incidents involved men between 21 and 34 years of age.

State of mind seems to affect the likelihood of accidents among young drivers, according to a 2011 study published in a British medical journal. Depressed drivers, between the ages of 17 and 25, were up to 10 percent more likely to exhibit risky driving behaviors than those without depression.

On the other hand, elderly drivers are more likely to cause pedestrian injuries and death. A 2010 study conducted through Ben-Gurion University found that drivers older than 65 were half as prone as other drivers to hit the brakes for someone walking along or in the streets.

Older drivers may have trouble seeing pedestrians, but they become safer drivers when grandchildren are in the car. A recent study showed that children were half as likely to be accident victims while riding in a grandparent's vehicle compared to traveling with their own parents.

As can be noted, many drivers fail to focus on safety occasionally. Hopefully this information will help make New York drivers more aware of their driving flaws, prompting them to practice safer driving.

Source: The Daily Beast, "America's Worst Drivers: The States, Gender, With the Most Accidents," Anneli Rufus, Dec. 31, 2011