Idaho, Vermont Best States for Drivers: Study
A recent study was conducted to determine the best and worst states for drivers based on several variables.
With data gathered from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the FBI, CarMD, the Oil Price Information Service, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and the U.S. Census Bureau, Bankrate compiled a standardized ranking of U.S. states determining the best and worst ones for drivers. The company used the following variables to rank the states: commute each way, insurance premium, annual gasoline spending, cost of repairs, theft rate and fatal crashes.
Idaho led the way as the best state for drivers with an average commute of 19.5 minutes, five-year average insurance premium of $656, annual gasoline spending of $733, cost per repair job running $379, 95.3 car thefts per 100,000 people and 1.3 fatal crashes per 100-million miles driven.
Vermont was ranked the second best state for drivers reporting an average commute of 22.8 minutes, insurance premium of $722, gasoline spending of $973, $356 repair cost, 53.3 car thefts per 100,000 people and 1.0 fatal crashes per 100-million miles driven.
SEE ALSO: Top 10 Best States for Teen Drivers
As for the worst state for drivers? That honor goes to Louisiana with an average commute of 24.7 minutes, insurance premium of $1,279, annual gas cost of $1,017, repair costs of $426, 198.0 car thefts per 100,000 people and 1.5 fatal crashes per 100-million miles driven.
The state with the shortest commute was Wyoming at 15.9 minutes, which was also ranked third best overall state for drivers. Iowa had the cheapest five-year average insurance premium at $637 while Florida reported the cheapest yearly gas spending at $563. Wyoming also had the cheapest repair cost $309.
If you’re looking for the state with the lowest rate of car thefts per 100,000 people, Vermont could be your home. Lastly, Massachusetts had the lowest number of fatal crashes per 100-million miles driven at 0.6.
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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