This NJ town has worse drivers than Lakewood 

Consumer Affairs has put out an eye-opening report about bad drivers in the Northeast. While some studies suggest New Jersey overall has some of the best drivers, this study shows certain, specific towns and cities have some of the worst.

“Even if you take all the right steps to protect your car and yourself, encountering a reckless driver can put you in a bad spot," the report says. "Drivers in several Northeastern cities face especially dangerous conditions — whether from speeding, impaired driving or a mix of risky behaviors — and should stay alert to avoid potentially deadly accidents.”

Read More: What Makes New Jersey Among The Worst States For Drivers?

Bad news for New Jersey

In the top 10 cities with the worst drivers, New Jersey lands on the list four times. Five times if you look at the top 11.

And for all the PLEASE PRAY FOR ME - I DRIVE IN LAKEWOOD bumper stickers and all the tropes, it turns out that’s not the city with the most dangerous drivers.

Before we get to that, if you’re wondering what city fell just outside of Consumer Affairs' Top 10 at No. 11 it’s Elizabeth. Having grown up in Rahway with family still living in Linden, I can confirm it’s a different breed of drivers in Elizabeth.

Inside the Top 10, Trenton fell at No. 10 for Northeast cities with the worst drivers and No. 4 worst city in New Jersey. I see this on a daily.

Newark came in at number eight for the worst drivers in all Northeast states and number three worst here in New Jersey.

That brings us to Lakewood. You can believe what you want about driving skills of a largely orthodox community, but the fact is it’s more about the explosive population growth and the streets and infrastructure not being nearly able to keep up with the expansion.

Lakewood is No. 3 for worst drivers in all of the Northeast and No. 2 in the Garden State.

The worst

So after all the snarky Lakewood jokes and jabs, which town turns out to actually have the worst drivers in the state?

According to the research by Consumer Affairs, it’s Camden. Second-worst in the Northeast and No. 1 worst of the worst in New Jersey. When it came to fatal crashes based strictly on bad driver behavior, they have a whopping 18.12 per 100k population. For comparison, Lakewood’s was 8.54.

Read more on the study here.