Massachusetts named one of the worst states for drivers in new ranking
BOSTON - Massachusetts drivers have it worse than just about everywhere else in the country, according to a new report.
Personal finance website WalletHub's ranking of the best states to drive in puts Massachusetts 45th out of 50. Only California, West Virginia, Delaware, Washington and Hawaii have a lower score.
Massachusetts has some of the highest car maintenance and insurance costs in the country, according to the report, and was also ranked near the bottom for traffic and infrastructure.
Traffic getting worse in Massachusetts
WBZ-TV asked back in September - is traffic getting worse for Boston commuters? The numbers say yes.
Data provided to WBZ from the Waze app says traffic from summer 2022 to summer 2023 increased by more than 5% in Boston, more than 10% in Newton and over 15% in Framingham. Salem saw a 12% increase and congestion and traffic rose 11.5% around Brockton.
The worsening traffic comes as remote work levels drop and more companies are mandating employees return to the office. Fewer people are also using public transportation than they were pre-pandemic.
"The average congestion cost for the average driver is $869 in 2022, so it's expensive to sit around in rush hour traffic," WalletHub editor Christie Matherne told WBZ-TV.
Driver safety in Massachusetts
Massachusetts did score better than many other states when it comes to driver safety, coming in 4th, according to WalletHub's ranking. The factors for that metric include seatbelt use, traffic fatality rate, car theft rate and the number of uninsured drivers on the road.
Iowa, Georgia, Kansas, Oklahoma and Alabama were ranked the best states for drivers. Click here to see the full ranking list from WalletHub.
