Good News for New Hampshire, Bad News for Massachusetts on the Roadways

There are three New England states which did not fare well in the latest survey by Wallethub.com.  The survey takes 31 key metrics into consideration when driving on roads, including traffic, gas prices, and theft.

There are so many ways to interpret this study, but let's stick with the key findings.

Rush hour congestion is just the beginning of ranking the worst states to drive in, so naturally, city locations would rank high in this category.  There's also the variable of safe roads and well-maintained roadways, in addition to best drivers, most precipitation, gas prices, cost of maintenance, drunk drivers, and traffic fatalities.

Ironically, Boston and the state of Massachusetts did not rank as the top most congested place during rush hour.  California has that honor.

However, New Hampshire did rate the worst for precipitation affecting driving.

On a brighter note, New Hampshire also ranked #1 "for the fewest car thefts per capita, 11.7 fewer than Colorado, which had the most", according to WalletHub.

Let's get to the nitty gritty about New England states.  Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont ranked near the bottom of the list, meaning they are some of the worst states to drive in.

Meanwhile, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Maine weren't all that high on the list either, ranking in the bottom half of the 50 states.

The irony of this survey is that Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts all ranked near the top of the list for safety on the roads, as did Maine.

The upshot is New England roadways are safe, but more expensive than other states to own a vehicle.  Drive on.