The lowest auto insurance premiums in America helped Iowa take the crown for best place to drive in America, according to a Bankrate.com study.
Drivers in the Midwestern state pay an average of $648 per year in premiums, joining Idaho ($651), Maine ($672), Wisconsin ($673) and South Dakota ($675) on the affordable end of the union when it comes to auto insurance.
The highest rates were found in Rhode Island at $1,157 per year, Michigan ($1,135), New Jersey ($1,300), Louisiana ($1,286) and New York ($1,241).
Other than coverage, The best and worst states for drivers ranking also graded states on what it’s like behind the wheel based on commute times, average fuel prices, repair costs and vehicle related deaths.
Learn more about the most expensive states for auto insurance in this article.
That’s why, despite its relatively inexpensive insurance, North Dakota ($692) is still put in the bottom half of the pack by the study, coming in 31st place for how drivers are treated.
In the same way, even though Californians ($897) are charged premiums just above the national average ($887) for auto insurance, Bankrate.com still said the Golden State was the worst for drivers in all of America.
Other than high population density negatively affecting drivers, Joseph Kane, an associate fellow at the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program said poor policy decisions were to blame.
“The answer for long commutes may not be in building more roads, but in providing public transportation options to alleviate some of the strains on highways,” Kane said. “Transportation is the second highest household expenditure category next to housing.”
Some rural states ranked low in the study because of poorer safety compared to urbanised ones, Kane said.
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