5 Worst Road Conditions By State
There’s no state pride in making this list.
You can’t have proper road safety without proper roads, and in these states, road conditions are perpetually bad, poorly fixed, and pricey for inhabitants.
We’ve compiled a short countdown of the ten worst road conditions by state (courtesy of Consumer Affairs), measured by a combination of factors that include: their own resident’s average rankings (out of 10), money spent by drivers per year due to driving on those roads, and percentage of roads with poor pavement (urban or rural, depending on state).
5 . Massachusetts
Residents gave their home state an average rating of 5.17 and pay an average of $620 per year in damages. It’s estimated 31% of the roads have poor pavement roughness, as harsh winter weather, road salt, and poor maintenance keep standards low.
4 . California
Californians pay a whopping $800 a year in damages, as the combo of heavy traffic, potholes, sinking roadways, and improper maintenance keep an estimated 30% of roads shoddy.
3 . Wisconsin
With 29% of their urban roads poorly paved and drivers paying $550 a year in repairs due to bad roads, the harsh weather and poor funding is said to leave holes and cracks in the streets, which adds to the toll that heavy traffic takes.
2 . Hawaii
Hawaii’s residents’ high rating of 7.33 belies the $818 a year its drivers pay in vehicle damage, the 24% of rural roads with poor pavement roughness, the 32% of urban roads with poor pavement roughness, the poorly lit areas to drive in, and lack of guardrails.
1 . Rhode Island
Number one goes to the state of Rhode Island, whose residents pay an average of $845 a year in repairs caused by roads. With a low maintenance budget, poor pavement defense against the elements, and a high rate of extreme weather, it’s no wonder that 42% of their urban roads and 26 of their rural roads are considered poorly paved!
