What Are the Best and Worst States for Drivers?
Carmartz.com — Peace out, potatoes — here comes the corn. Finance-rate aggregator Bankrate.com has again named the best (and worst) U.S. states for drivers, and Iowa has uprooted Idaho from the top spot. Researchers ranked all 50 states for their driver friendliness based on commute times, annual insurance premiums, gas expenses, repair costs, auto thefts and traffic fatalities.
Related: Pedestrians, Watch Your Step in These Cities!
“Transportation is the second highest cost many households face, but that burden doesn’t fall equally across states,” said Bankrate analyst Claes Bell in a statement. “Americans should take into account their costs for insurance, gas and other factors, as well as safety concerns, when considering their daily travel options.”
Following the Hawkeye State to round out the top five were Ohio, Maine, Wisconsin and Vermont. Idaho, meanwhile, remains among the best driving states but drops to No. 13 this time out. Wisconsin and Vermont both made last year’s top five also, while Iowa, Maine and Ohio enjoy a promotion.
On the unfortunate end of the Bankrate rankings is California. The Golden State’s rep is tarnished by its status as the worst state for drivers. That should come as little surprise to anyone paying attention to such matters, as Cali is routinely among the worst places in the U.S. for auto theft, commute times and car-ownership costs — despite the earthquake-prone state being popularly regarded as the epicenter of car culture.
But misery loves company, and New Mexico, Nevada, Louisiana and Wyoming are not far behind California at Nos. 2 through 5 among the worst of the worst. Last year’s No. 1 worst state for drivers, Louisiana, is the only other returning member of the top five this go around, but it falls to fourth place.
Moving up in the world were Arkansas, Missouri, Oregon and Tennessee, all of which went from the top 25 worst-places list last year to the top 25 best-places list this time out. But in the zero-sum game of state rankings, someone wins and someone loses, and Alaska, Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming this year were pushed to the worst-places list. Separating the good from the bad is Oklahoma, holding fast at No. 25 for its second year.
Bankrate gleaned its contributing statistics from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, FBI, CarMD, Oil Price Information Service, U.S. Department of Transportation, National Association of Insurance Commissionersand U.S. Census Bureau.
See where your state ranks among the best and worst drivers below:
Best States for Drivers
25. Oklahoma
24. Arkansas
23. Oregon
22. Tennessee
21. Utah
20. Rhode Island
19. Missouri
18. Massachusetts
17. North Carolina
16. Pennsylvania
15. Virginia
14. Michigan
13. Idaho
12. Kansas
11. Illinois
10. Nebraska
9. Indiana
8. New Hampshire
7. South Dakota
6. Minnesota
5. Vermont
4. Wisconsin
3. Maine
2. Ohio
1. Iowa
Worst States for Drivers
25. New York
24. Kentucky
23. Alabama
22. West Virginia
21. Arizona
20. North Dakota
19. Connecticut
18. Colorado
17. Washington
16. Mississippi
15. South Carolina
14. Texas
13. Alaska
12. Delaware
11. Montana
10. Hawaii
9. Florida
8. New Jersey
7. Georgia
6. Maryland
5. Wyoming
4. Louisiana
3. Nevada
2. New Mexico
1. California