Aging roadways are costing American drivers — literally. QuoteWizard, a U.S. insurance comparison platform, recently released a study titled States with the Worst Road Infrastructure, which found that deteriorating roads and bridges cost drivers an average of $556 every year in repairs, and in some states, nearly $1,000.
The high costs drivers pay results from a combination of what the Federal Highway Administration considers “non-acceptable” roads and poor bridge decks. QuoteWizard analyzed data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics on the percentage of non-acceptable roads and square miles of poor bridge deck and found that nationwide, 19 percent of U.S. roads are in non-acceptable condition, and 5 percent of bridges are in poor condition.
The more non-acceptable roads and poor bridge decks a state has, the more drivers pay. Of all the states, Rhode Island, West Virginia and Massachusetts were found to have the worst road infrastructure — that is, the highest percentages of non-acceptable roads and poor bridge decks. Drivers in Oklahoma, California and Rhode Island pay the most. On the other hand, Georgia, Alabama and Florida have the best road infrastructure. Drivers in Georgia, Oregon and Tennessee pay the least.
“Poor roads and bridges are a huge cost,” said Nick VinZant, senior research analyst with QuoteWizard. “They cost people time, they cost people money, and they can contribute to crashes. We found that the more states reinvest in their roads, the better road conditions are and the less drivers pay in the long run.”
To read the full report, click here.