Utah’s roads are the best place to rely on a vehicle, study says
Nov 28, 2023, 8:30 AM
Vehicles travel on I-15 in Salt Lake City. Utah's roads are the sixth safest in the nation. (Kristin Murphy/ Deseret News)
(Kristin Murphy/ Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY— Contrary to the belief that Utah’s roads allegedly possess some of the worst drivers, a new study says the Beehive State is actually one of the best places to rely on a vehicle for transportation.
The Mechanic Base study analyzed commute times, congestion rates, traffic safety, infrastructure, and gas prices for all 50 states. The study ranked Utah’s roads as #1.
Utah had one of the best average commute times at 22 minutes. Utah’s roads are among the lowest congestion rates. The study also found a low traffic fatality rate compared to other states.
Utah’s roads also got high marks. The study said they are “top-notch road infrastructure.”
The study described Utah as being “wide open,” however, the Beehive State received strong scores for gas prices and the amount of EV charging stations that are available.
The study’s ranking:
- Utah
- Nevada
- Hawaii
- Nebraska
- North Dakota
- Arizona
- Idaho
- Kansas
- Wisconsin
- Minnesota
In contrast, the study ranked the top 10 worst states for driving:
- New York
- Rhode Island
- West Virginia
- Massachusetts
- Mississippi
- Illinois
- Louisiana
- New Jersey
- Maine
- Arkansas
Western states tended to score higher because of more wide open spaces and less congestion in their major cities.
Eastern states scored lower due to a myriad of things like poor or underfunded road infrastructure, bad congestion in some of the big cities, severe winters, and high rates of traffic fatalities.
So, next time you’re stuck in traffic on I-15 on the way to work, just remember, Utah’s apparently the best you’re going to get.
Related:
- Fatal auto-pedestrian crashes: Utahns should ‘take responsibility in our driving’
- Utah drivers rank high on studies about bad driving behaviors
