Which Occupations Have the Worst Drivers?

The Quality Planning Corporation, a San Francisco-based company that helps insurance companies rate driver risk, has collated data that shows that some occupations produce more dangerous drivers than others. We could've guessed that students would be rated the worst drivers by occupation—but architects? The company released a survey ranking 40 different occupations based on data collected by insurance companies on 1 million drivers. The data cover an 18-month period ending one year ago. Fifteen percent of students listed in the data were involved in an accident in that time, while doctors were involved in 11 percent. Long hours, especially for doctors in the training phase of their careers, may be a factor. Cell phone use, common among doctors, lawyers and real estate agents, may also contribute. Real estate agents tend to multitask while driving their automobiles, according to a report in Realty Times. The company also looked at which occupations are most prone to speeding tickets. Again, students, nine percent of whom got a speeding ticket, top the list. Virtually tied for second place enlisted military personnel, manual laborers and politicians, all of whom got speeding tickets at a rate of about eight percent. Seven percent of architects got speeding tickets. Architects and students were the only professions to make the top five in both lists. Politicians rank in the top five in speeding violations while at the same time ranking in the bottom five in accidents. Only homemakers ranked in the bottom five in both accidents and speeding tickets. Insurance companies do not generally base the premiums they charge on occupation because it's often difficult verify. Also, insurance companies have to provide justification for premiums to state regulators and that would require more data.