KIRO NEWSRADIO OPINION

‘It’s just nutty’: Curley unloads on WA’s worst-in-nation driving habits

Dec 10, 2025, 9:44 AM

Washington ranks among the bottom five states for driver quality nationwide, according to a Best and Worst Drivers 2025 Report. According to the study, Washington qualified as having the fifth-worst drivers in the nation, logging 44.9 incidents per 1,000 drivers.

John Curley, host of “The John Curley Show” on KIRO Newsradio, offered tips for Washington drivers, specifically calling out those who camp in the far-left lane while going the speed limit.

“Where we were in 2023, we weren’t as bad. We’re getting worse. Apparently, everybody continues to change lanes erratically. Or everybody in the far left-hand lane is going 60 miles per hour. You know, if you’re that person, get out of the lane if somebody wants to go faster than you, just move over and let them go. Let him drive however he wants to drive, but don’t slow down because you’re trying to show him something. You’re not supposed to drive in the lane anyway; it’s a passing lane. God, it’s just nutty.”

Curley struggled to pinpoint the cause of the state’s poor driving reputation, suggesting that WA’s ranking may stem from out-of-state drivers bringing habits from their home states.

“I can’t figure out why, like, is it one particular group, why is it getting worse? Are these people coming from different countries or other states?” Curley asked. “If you have people from other states coming in, like New Jersey and Utah, where they drive crazy fast, and then they come to Washington, they don’t understand why someone is driving so slowly.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to John Curley weekday afternoons from 3 – 7 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

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