Washington is the third worst state to drive in
Jan 27, 2019, 8:13 AM
Washington fails when it comes to driving. This probably comes as no surprise to drivers after years of being ranked poorly in various categories. Seattle comes in 10th for time spent in bad traffic. Washington drivers are reportedly the 5th worst in the nation.
RELATED: Distracted driving went down in 2018
Unpopular opinion: I’d take a self-driving car over a Seattle driver
The latest assessment by WalletHub concludes that Washington is the third worst state to drive in. The only states worse are Alaska and Hawaii. The assessment evaluates the overall environment in which to drive in — cost of car ownership, road conditions, or car theft rates. When all is added up, Washington ranks slightly better than California.
To add a little salt to the wound, Oregon tops the list as the no. 1 state to drive in. What?! Even Idaho ranks as a fair 21st. Oregon apparently has the lowest costs to maintain a car — though gas prices are nearly as expensive as they are in Washington. And Idaho makes the top five states with the lowest rush hour congestion.
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WalletHub calculated its ranking by considering: cost of ownership and maintenance; traffic and infrastructure; safety; and access to vehicles and maintenance. There are about 30 metrics among those four primary factors, such as gas prices, congestion, bridge quality, or car dealerships per capita. Here are a few highlights from those points. Washington ranks:
- 20th: Auto-repair shops per capita
- 21st: Car dealerships per capital
- 33rd: Share of rush hour traffic congestion
- 37th: Auto-maintenance costs
- 44th: Car theft rate
- 44th: Road quality
- 48th: Average gas prices
The rain factor
It should be pointed out that WalletHub did consider one key aspect that probably hurt Washington’s standing at no fault of drivers — rain. Other states received better ratings for having less rain.
California scores big points for having the most car washes per capita. But if we’re being totally fair, Washington’s cars get a natural wash 10 months of the year.
Side note: Washington loves Mazda
EducatedDriver.org recently conducted its own assessment — which cars each state is obsessed with.
Data scientist Matthew Sisco ran some numbers, considering consumer data at the state level. He then compared that to national averages.
Washington loves Mazda far more than any other car brand. Sorry Subaru fans. On average, Mazda stands out in Washington, compared to other states.
In fact, only two states favor Mazda: Washington and Delaware. Buick does fairly well across the United States — it’s Oregon’s favorite car. Lamborghini is even more prominent in three states (Florida, Nevada, Texas).
