Idaho scores top spot as best state for drivers nationwide

Idaho is ranked number one as the best place for drivers, according to recent analysis conducted by the website Bankrate.com. Gem State drivers spend less on their driving than all other drivers nationwide.

"The low cost of driving allows Idahoans to reinvest that money in businesses, recreation and our communities, creating more economic opportunity," said Idaho Transportation Department Director Brian Ness. “By investing money in our highways and bridges, we enhance mobility, demonstrate how business friendly we are and make Idaho a great place to live, work and drive.”

“When we set out to build a ranking for American drivers, our primary interest was to rate the overall experience for motorists in each state,” states the Bankrate website. Rankings were based on number of fatal crashes, number of car thefts, car-repair costs, gasoline spending, insurance premiums and commute times.

Annually, Idaho drivers enjoyed the second-lowest insurance costs in the country at $656, the fourth-lowest gasoline spending at $733 and repair costs that were $21 below the national average of $390.

Idaho also ranked fifth in fewest car thefts, with only 95 thefts for every 100,000 people. Average commute time was less than 20 minutes for drivers.

Despite fewer minutes in their cars, Idahoans are still involved in fatal crashes at a slightly higher rate than the national average, with 1.3 deaths per 100 million miles drive,n compared to a national average of 1.1.  But high rankings in other categories kept the state at number one.

Statistics for the analysis were gathered from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 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.

Joining Idaho in the top five states for drivers are Vermont, Wyoming, Wisconsin and Minnesota.

 


Published 09-04-15