Don’t hit the road: Arizona among nation’s worst for drivers
Sep 1, 2015, 5:14 PM | Updated: 5:34 pm
(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
PHOENIX — Frustrated behind the wheel when driving in Arizona? It’s very likely you aren’t alone.
The Grand Canyon State has been ranked the 12th-worst state for drivers by a website. The site took into account the number of fatal crashes, car thefts, commute times, insurance premiums, and repair and gas costs.
“Car thefts are really the one real dark spot that are higher than average in Arizona,” Chris Kahn with bankrate.com said.
Kahn also said Arizona’s higher rate of fatal crashes — 1.4 per 100,000,000 miles driven compared to the average of 1.1 — was also a reason for the state’s poorer ranking.
However, there is a bright side: Arizonans spend an average of 24 minutes commuting each day, which is lower than the national average, and spend about $60 less on fuel annually.
Drivers also spend less than average on insurance while repairs cost just slightly more than the national average of $390.
Overall, Louisiana was ranked the worst state for drivers, followed by California, Texas, Maryland and New Jersey.
The best state was Idaho, which beat out Vermont and Wyoming for the top spot.
KTAR’s Jeremy Foster contributed to this report.