Hawaii Ranked as the Ninth Worst State for Driving

In a recent online article, Bankrate.com ranked all 50 states for their overall driving experience. The study focused on six main areas that affect a driver’s quality of life, as well as the cost of owning and maintaining a car. The areas of focus included the rate of fatal crashes, car thefts, average commute times, gasoline spending, repair costs and insurance premiums. Hawaii finished ninth from the bottom, between Washington, D.C., and New York. Texas, California and Louisiana were rated the lowest.

Expensive gasoline was a major drawback for Hawaiians. The cost of importing gasoline to a remote island paradise causes extreme pain at the pump. The average cost of a gallon of gasoline in Hawaii for 2014 was $4.16, the highest in the nation. Bankrate’s study estimated that Hawaiian drivers spent an average of $1,347 on fuel in 2014, the third-highest total in the nation and 42 percent higher than the average American motorist.

Car theft is also an issue in Hawaii, as the state ranks tenth in that category with a rate of 262 vehicle thefts per 100,000 people. Insurance premiums are also high, with annual costs $27 above the national average. The study found other factors – vehicle repair costs, commute times and the rate of fatal crashes – were close to the national average. However, a simplistic measure of commute time may not do justice to the delays motorists endure in the Honolulu metropolitan area.

One thing you needn’t worry about in Hawaii is access to excellent legal representation. If ever suffer a serious injury in Hawaiian traffic, you can consult a knowledgeable attorney free of charge at Cronin, Fried, Sekiya, Kekina & Fairbanks, Attorneys At Law. Call us at 808.524.1433 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.