Worst States To Drive In America: See NJ's Place On The List

NEW JERSEY — A new analysis of federal data suggests the Garden State is the worst place to drive in America— something you may or may not agree with during your daily commute on the Garden State Parkway.

The personal finance website MoneyGeek used data from the Federal Highway Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Census Bureau, FBI and other sources to rank the states with the best and worst driving experiences. The data was sorted into five categories: congestion, costs (including gas and insurance), infrastructure, safety, and weather.

By that measure, New Jersey is the worst place in the country to get behind the wheel.

To be fair, we’re fighting the worst traffic congestion anywhere, and we’re second only to Rhode Island in lousy infrastructure – with just 55 percent of roads in acceptable condition, according to MoneyGeek.

New Jersey also ranked 12th in the cost to drive a car, but overall, most other states have far-worse safety ratings. We rank 46th worst there, and also catch a break from weather, ranking 41st.

Behind New Jersey, rounding out the five worst states for driving are California, West Virginia, Mississippi and Maryland, respectively.

The best states to drive in are in the Midwest: Nebraska, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Kansas, respectively.

Nebraska, which is one of the least population-dense states in the union, claimed the top spot in the study with the most economical driving expenses in the country. And the Cornhusker State also had the least congested roads in America, with a typical morning commute taking just 19 minutes.

What do you think? Should New Jersey be higher or lower on the list? Let us know in the comments.

This article contains reporting from Patch’s Beth Dalbey.