California has some of the nation's worst drivers, according to a recent report.

The Golden State ranked 45 ^th in careless driving and 43 ^rd in number of tickets (two statistics that are probably related). In response, Bakersfield police say they intend to increase the number of sobriety checkpoints, claiming that a well-publicized checkpoint decreases alcohol-related crashes by 20 percent.

According to the study, Vermont, Utah and New Hampshire were the country's best drivers, while Louisianans were the worst.

It stands to reason that careless and distracted drivers are more likely to speed, change lanes illegally, run red lights, not maintain their cars properly and do a host of other things that "bad drivers" do. Unfortunately for Kern County drivers, California also has some of the most expensive traffic tickets in the country.

The first Penalty Assessments in California appeared in the late 1950s. These costs were relatively low, until the state's recent budget crisis in the early 2000s. In 2010, the Governor dramatically increased PAs, in a move that had everything to do with revenue and almost nothing to do with roadway safety.

Currently, there are basically two types of penalty assessments:

So, for a $35 speeding ticket, you'll pay at least $180 in PAs (the $60 flat fee plus $120 in percentage PAs).