In 2019, Carinsurance.com published the results of a survey that ranked the fifty states and the District of Columbia in eight categories to determine which states were most favorable for U.S. motorists. Pennsylvania finished 26th in the country. So, Pennsylvania is the 26th best or worst state in which to drive, depending on your perspective. In 2016. Pennsylvania was the 8th worst state to drive.

In 2019, Utah and Minnesota were one-two respectively in the nation while California was ranked dead-last; Louisiana ranked second-worst at #50.

Best drivers by state for 2019

  1. Utah
  2. Minnesota
  3. North Dakota
  4. Maine
  5. Nebraska
  6. Vermont
  7. New Hampshire
  8. Iowa
  9. Massachusetts
  10. Virginia

Here’s how Pennsylvania scored in seven categories as represented by the number in parentheses. The totals of Pennsylvania’s neighbors – New York, New Jersey, and Ohio – are also listed for comparison.

  • Insurance (15): In this category, car insurance was measured as a percentage of median household income. Pennsylvania’s was 2.08% of median household income. In comparison, New Hampshire spent the least in the country, only 1.52 percent, while the most, 4.96 percent, was spent in Michigan.
  • New Yorkers spent 2.85%; residents of New Jersey, 1.99%; and Ohio, 2.24%.
  • Uninsured drivers (7): This category represents the estimated percentage of uninsured drivers in a state. 7.6% of Pennsylvania drivers were uninsured, which is the 7th lowest in the country. Florida had the highest percentage of uninsured drivers, with 26.7%. Maine had the lowest, 4.5%.
  • 6.1% of New York residents; 14.9% of New Jersey residents; and 12.4% of Ohio residents were uninsured according to the data collected.
  • Traffic fatalities (30): This number represents the number of traffic deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. Pennsylvania had 1.09 deaths. Wyoming had the highest number at 1.8, while Massachusetts had the fewest at .58.
  • New York .77; New Jersey .82; and Ohio 1.01.
  • Roads (36): This rating represents the percentage of a state’s roads that are in poor or mediocre condition. 57% of Pennsylvania roads are in poor or mediocre condition. Connecticut and Illinois both have the worst roads in the country, with 73% in mediocre or poor condition. Indiana has the best at 17%.
  • New York 60%; New Jersey 66%; and Ohio only 42%.
  • Repair costs (16): This category estimated the extra cost of car repair due to driving on bad roads. Pennsylvanians spent $360 for repairs.
  • New York residents spent $377; New Jersey residents $385 (down from $601, the nation’s worst in 2016); and Ohio residents $335.
  • Gas (7): This is the average price of a gallon of gasoline in a state ranked by the highest price. Pennsylvania’s price was $3.06 per gallon in 2019.
  • New York residents spent $2.78; New Jersey residents $2.76; and Ohio residents $2.70 per gallon of gas.
  • Traffic congestion (13): This is established using public road mileage and the number of registered vehicles. Pennsylvania’s was 88.26. Hawaii was, surprisingly, #1 at 278.86.
  • New York 93.02; New Jersey 152.02; and Ohio 85.88.