Foster City, CA,
CarInsurance.com’s annual report measures each state based on a series of factors, which includes:
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- Insurance costs: Percentage of annual income spent on car insurance
- Traffic fatalities: Deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled
- Traffic congestion: Public road mileage and the number of registered vehicles
- Gas: Average regular gas prices
- Uninsured drivers: Percentage of uninsured motorists
- Roads: Percentage of roads in poor/mediocre condition
- Extra costs associated with road conditions: Annual extra vehicle repairs/operating costs due to driving on roads in need of repair per motorist
- Car repair costs: The average cost of car repairs (both parts and labor)
Utah earned the recognition as the best state for driving this year due to the state’s low crash-related fatalities and excellent road conditions, as well as lower-than-average congestion, uninsured drivers, and auto insurance costs. Utah is a perennial top state for driving, having finished sixth in last year’s report.
Last year’s winner, Minnesota, finished a close second, with the deciding difference with Utah being the road conditions. Only one-quarter of Utah’s roads are in poor or mediocre condition. That’s compared to slightly more than half of Minnesota’s. Along with Utah and Minnesota, the list of the “best states for driving” includes:
- Utah
- Minnesota
- North Dakota
- Maine
- Nebraska
- Vermont
- New Hampshire
- Iowa
- Massachusetts
- Virginia
For some states though, the road to being ranked proved bumpy, with California receiving the unwanted distinction of being the worst state for driving. Although the Golden State ranked highly in driving-related fatalities, it was not enough to overcome poor showings in nearly every other category this year.
Arkansas, 2018’s lowest-ranked state, improved its rating to 48th, but still performed poorly in every category except for congestion and repair costs. Meanwhile, Louisiana escaped being last this year thanks in part to its low gas prices. Louisiana has one of the lowest average gas prices in the country
51. California
50. Louisiana
49. Mississippi
48. Arkansas
47. Oklahoma
46. Rhode Island
45. Texas
44. Connecticut
43. Delaware
42. Florida
“With many people starting to plan out their summer road trips, always lurking are those unexpected events that threaten to put the brakes on the fun,” said Michelle Megna, editorial director at CarInsurance.com. “With this report, drivers can factor into their plans driving conditions across the country, so they can avoid costly bumps in the road when it comes to things such as rising gas prices, poor road conditions, traffic congestion and more.”
To view the full report, and see where your state ranks, please visit CarInsurance.com to access it here.
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Rick JudgeLiberty Communications for QuinStreet 415-429-5652 QuinStreet@libertycomms.com