Where Does New York Rank in America’s ‘Worst States to Drive In’ for 2024?
We've all had a few less-than-ideal situations play out while on the roadways of New York. We've all hit bumper-to-bumper traffic, we've all been cut-off, and some of us have even been unfortunate enough to get into an accident.
It's safe to say that some of New York's roadways, and drivers, aren't the greatest. Does that make the Empire State the worst state to drive in?
We may have found the answer.
Study Ranks the Best, and Worst, States to Drive In in America
All 50 states, including New York, were the subject of a recent study completed by WalletHub. The experts there measured each state against one another, and compiled a list of the best, and worst, states to drive in in America.
Based on their findings, New York is considered to be the 27th-best state to for drivers in the United States. It's not great, but not terrible, either.
Four key details were weighed when determining these rankings. They were:
- Cost of Ownership & Maintenance
- Traffic & Infrastructure
- Safety
- Access to Vehicles & Maintenance
New York ranked 42nd in cost, 45th in traffic/infrastructure, 7th in safety and 3rd in access to vehicles/maintenance. That boiled down to a "final score" of 56.70, which sandwiched the Empire State between Kentucky and Louisiana.
Here are where other states in the region were ranked, based on WalletHub's findings. Let's see if you notice a trend:
- New York: 27th
- Pennsylvania: 29th
- Maine: 32nd
- Connecticut: 33rd
- New Jersey: 38th
- New Hampshire: 39th
- Vermont: 42nd
- Rhode Island: 43rd
- Massachusetts: 45th
America's best state for drivers is Iowa, according to the study, while Hawaii is considered to be America's worst driving state.
It's also America's hardest state to drive to, but I didn't need the study to tell me that.
Don't Look Down! The Capital Region's Ten Most Dangerous Bridges
Gallery Credit: Dan Bahl
The Capital Region's Worst Roads To Drive In The Snow
Gallery Credit: Matty Jeff