Portland, Ore., Residents, Gen Zers and Subaru Drivers Most Prone to Speeding — Here’s a Breakdown in the 50 Largest US Cities

A lot of Americans like to push the limit with their driving speed — some too far. According to the latest LendingTree study, Portland, Ore., has the speediest drivers in the U.S., with 11.61 speeding-related incidents per 1,000 drivers.

In addition to our findings, we’ll share tips on utilizing auto insurance to help curb speeding habits.

Key findings

• Portland, Ore., has the speediest drivers in the U.S. Across the 50 largest cities, Portland is the only one with more than 10.00 speeding-related incidents per 1,000 drivers, at 11.61. Kansas City, Mo. (9.45), and Jacksonville, Fla. (9.01), follow. On the other hand, New York (1.80) has the least speedy drivers, followed by Louisville, Ky. (2.09), and Boston (2.37).
• Gen Zers in the nation’s biggest cities have the highest speeding-related incident rate — and it’s not close. Gen Zers have 11.87 speeding-related incidents per 1,000 drivers, significantly above the next-closest, millennials, at 6.73. Baby boomers have the lowest rate at 3.22 per 1,000 drivers.
• Subaru drivers are the speediest, followed by those with BMWs and Infinitis. Subaru drivers in the 50 biggest cities have 7.96 speeding-related incidents per 1,000 drivers — the only vehicle make above 7.00. That’s followed by BMW (6.78) and Infiniti drivers (6.71).
• By vehicle models, Honda Civic, Volkswagen Jetta and Chevrolet Camaro drivers are the speediest. Their speeding-related incident rates per 1,000 drivers are 9.09, 8.64 and 8.62, respectively. Conversely, these rates are lowest among Mercedes-Benz C (0.91), Lexus ES (1.09) and Chrysler Town & Country (1.24) drivers.
• Drivers in the largest cities pay an annual average of $599.43 more for their insurance premiums after a speeding incident. The difference in auto insurance premiums with or without an incident is highest in Detroit ($1,548.29 annually), Los Angeles ($1,219.04) and Phoenix ($1,047.91).

Drivers in Portland, Ore., are the speediest in the U.S.

When analyzing data for the 50 largest cities in the U.S., we found that Portland, Ore., had the highest rate of speeding-related incidents (which mostly are speeding tickets but can also be speeding-related accidents and other incidents). Here, there are 11.61 incidents per 1,000 drivers — the only city with more than 10.00 speeding-related incidents.

Speed limits may play a role here. According to Portland.gov, 76% of Portland’s streets have a speed limit of 20 mph. With such a low speed limit, going faster than legally allowed may be easier.

That’s followed by Kansas City, Mo., at 9.45 speeding-related incidents, and Jacksonville, Fla., at 9.01.

Cities with the most speeding-related incidents per 1,000 drivers

Source: LendingTree analysis of QuoteWizard by LendingTree insurance quotes from June 9, 2023, through June 9, 2024.

According to LendingTree auto insurance expert and licensed insurance agent Rob Bhatt, speeding tickets don’t impact a city’s insurance rates like accidents — fortunately for those in speedy cities.

While speeding tickets don’t increase an insurance company’s costs, they can make the cited driver appear riskier or more likely to get into an accident. The individual driver’s rates will go up, but drivers who maintain a clean record aren’t usually impacted.

Meanwhile, New York has the least speedy drivers, at 1.80 per 1,000 speeding incidents. Of course, an inability to speed may play the biggest role here. According to a study by traffic data company Inrix, New York is the most congested city in the world, with drivers losing 101 hours a year stuck in traffic.

Following that, Louisville, Ky. (2.09), and Boston (2.37) rank second- and third-lowest, respectively.

Full rankings

Cities with the most/least speeding-related incidents per 1,000 drivers

Source: LendingTree analysis of QuoteWizard by LendingTree insurance quotes from June 9, 2023, through June 9, 2024.

Younger Americans more likely to feel the need for speed

Young drivers are fast and furious. In fact, Gen Zers ages 18 to 26 in 2023 have 11.87 speeding-related incidents per 1,000 drivers. That’s nearly double the rate of millennials ages 27 to 42 (6.73), the generation with the next-highest rate.

Far below, baby boomers ages 59 to 77 have just 3.22 speeding-related incidents per 1,000 drivers.

Speeding-related incidents per 1,000 drivers in 50 largest cities (by generation)

Source: LendingTree analysis of QuoteWizard by LendingTree insurance quotes from June 9, 2023, through June 9, 2024.

According to Bhatt, the order is expected despite the startling differences.

“Younger drivers have been the riskiest for generations, probably for as long as traffic statistics have been compiled,” he says. “The fact that Gen Z drivers have nearly twice as many speeding incidents as millennials is surprising and scary. Speeding is one of the leading factors in fatal traffic collisions. We could save thousands of lives each year if speeders slowed down.”

Subaru, BMW drivers are speediest by vehicle make

Turning to the 30 vehicle makes with the most quotes, Subaru drivers are the speediest, with those in the 50 biggest cities having 7.96 speeding-related incidents per 1,000 drivers. That makes it the only vehicle make above 7.00.

Meanwhile, BMW drivers have 6.78 speeding-related incidents and Infiniti drivers have 6.71.

Speeding-related incidents per 1,000 drivers in 50 largest cities (by vehicle make)

Source: LendingTree analysis of QuoteWizard by LendingTree insurance quotes from June 9, 2023, through June 9, 2024.

On the other hand, Pontiac — discontinued more than a decade ago — drivers have the lowest rate of speeding-related incidents, at 4.13. That’s followed by Buick (4.31) and GMC (4.35).

Across the 100 vehicle models with the most quotes, the Honda Civic ranks first, with drivers having 9.09 incidents. That’s followed by Volkswagen Jetta (8.64) and Chevrolet Camaro (8.62) drivers.

Vehicle models with most speeding-related incidents per 1,000 drivers in 50 largest cities

Source: LendingTree analysis of QuoteWizard by LendingTree insurance quotes from June 9, 2023, through June 9, 2024.

Conversely, these rates are lowest among Mercedes-Benz C (0.91), Lexus ES (1.09) and Chrysler Town & Country (1.24) drivers.

Full rankings

Speeding-related incidents per 1,000 drivers in 50 largest cities (by vehicle model)

Source: LendingTree analysis of QuoteWizard by LendingTree insurance quotes from June 9, 2023, through June 9, 2024.

Speeding incidents increase insurance premiums by $599 on average

Speeding incidents are costly — not just because of the tickets, but because they heavily impact your insurance premiums. In fact, drivers in the largest 50 cities pay an average of $599.43 more a year for their insurance after a speeding incident, with premiums jumping from $2,323.88 to $2,923.31.

Detroit drivers take the biggest blow after a speeding citation, with premiums rising by an average of $1,548.29 annually. That’s followed by Los Angeles ($1,219.04) and Phoenix ($1,047.91).

Notably, six of the top 10 cities with the highest premium hikes are in California.

Biggest difference in annual auto insurance premiums with a speeding incident (by city)

Source: LendingTree analysis of Quadrant Information Services auto insurance rate data.

Meanwhile, premiums rise by just $208.22 in El Paso, Texas. That’s followed by two other Texas cities: Austin ($225.13) and Fort Worth ($233.19). In fact, seven of the 10 cities with the lowest premium increases are in Texas.

Full rankings

Difference in annual auto insurance premiums with a speeding incident (by city)

Source: LendingTree analysis of Quadrant Information Services auto insurance rate data.

Taking the slow road: Expert tips on curbing speeding habits

While speeding can feel relatively harmless, Bhatt says it’s more dangerous than drivers often think.

Consider taking a defensive driving course to protect yourself against speedy drivers or installing a telematics device that records your speed and reports it to your insurance. Not only can these help instill better driving habits, but they may also qualify you for an auto insurance discount.

Additionally, drivers should remember that speeding can impact your wallet. With those high premium hikes in mind, it’s best to avoid speeding altogether. However, if you’re facing higher rates after getting a ticket, consider looking into cheap car insurance for those with bad driving records.

Methodology

Researchers analyzed tens of millions of QuoteWizard by LendingTree insurance quotes from June 9, 2023, through June 9, 2024.

Researchers calculated the number of speeding-related incidents per 1,000 drivers in the 50 largest (by population) U.S. cities. We followed the same process across the same cities to determine the:

• Speediest drivers by generation
• Speediest drivers by vehicle make
• Speediest drivers by vehicle model

To define generations, LendingTree analysts used the following ranges from the Pew Research Center:

• Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2005; ages 18 to 26 in 2023 — only adults)
• Millennial (born between 1981 and 1996; ages 27 to 42 in 2023)
• Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980; ages 43 to 58 in 2023)
• Baby boomer (born between 1946 and 1964; ages 59 to 77 in 2023)
• Silent generation (born between 1928 and 1945; ages 78 to 95 in 2023)

The 30 makes and 100 models with the highest number of quotes were included.

Additionally, LendingTree researchers gathered quotes for a 2015 Honda Civic EX driven by a 30-year-old man with a good credit score, both with and without a speeding incident. This portion of the study shows the average annual cost of a full-coverage insurance policy in the same cities as above.

The analysis used insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services. These rates were publicly sourced from insurer filings and should be used for comparative purposes only, as your quotes may be different. Full-coverage policies include coverage limits above minimum requirements.

Full-coverage policy