Camden Ranks Second-Worst for Drivers in Northeast, Study Finds

Camden has the second-worst drivers in the Northeast. A ConsumerAffairs study came out last week. The numbers are grim: 18.12 deadly crashes per 100,000 residents, which dwarfs the national average by more than six times.

ConsumerAffairs helps buyers choose big purchases like cars and homes. They ranked Northeastern cities by their rates of deadly crashes stemming from risky actions. Speeding? Check. Driving drunk? Yes. Breaking traffic laws? All counted.

The New Jersey city saw 12.54 deaths from all crashes per 100,000 residents. Speed-related deaths hit 7.77 per 100,000. Deaths where drivers tested positive for alcohol reached 6.04 per 100,000.

Impaired driving deaths stood at 2.79 per 100,000 in this South Jersey spot. Fatal wrecks involving bad actions like aggressive moves, careless choices, and violations have totaled 18.12 per 100,000.

Camden sees tons of traffic. It's a gateway between the region and Philadelphia. Narrow streets don't help. Crumbling infrastructure makes things worse. Population density compounds the problem.

Waterbury, Connecticut, took first place as the worst Northeastern city for drivers. New Jersey claimed four spots in the top 10. Camden ranked second, Lakewood third, Newark eighth, and Trenton tenth.

The study examined only cities with 65,000 residents or more, so smaller towns didn't make the cut. ConsumerAffairs used statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's latest fatal car crash records.