New study: Hawaiʻi ranked worst state in the country for driving in 2023
Fueled by high gas prices and auto maintenance costs, Hawaiʻi was ranked as the worst state to drive in compared with the rest of the country, a new study said.
Average gas prices, rush-hour traffic congestion and road quality, along with dozens of other key metrics, were evaluated to determine 2023’s “Best and Worst States to Drive in.”
The study, released Monday by personal-finance website WalletHub, ranked Hawai’i as the worst state for driving and Iowa as the best state.
The study said that Hawaiʻi has the highest average regular gas price in the nation at $5.12 per gallon, which is 1.9 times higher than Texas, which has the lowest average price at $2.65 per gallon.
Also, Hawaiʻi has the fewest auto-repair shops per square foot of population at 0.198042. California has the most, 1.509731, which is 7.6 times more than in Hawaiʻi.
Hawai’i ranked bottom of the barrel when it comes to “Cost of Ownership and Maintenance,” which looks at average gas prices, average annual care insurance premium, auto maintenance costs and total extra vehicle operating costs per drive. The Aloha State ranked close to the bottom in “Traffic and Infrastructure” and “Access to Vehicles and Maintenance.”
Hawai’i has some of the highest auto maintenance costs, ranking 48th in the country. West Virginia had the lowest auto maintenance costs.
The Aloha State’s best ranking was sixth in the “Safety” category, which assessed traffic fatality rate, seatbelt wearers, traffic infractions, such as phone use and speeding, and car theft rate.
Sponsored Content
