The average American spends more than 18 hours in an automobile each week, which equates to over 17 percent of his or her waking hours, according to data from Nielsen and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
That alone spells risk not only because the odds of an accident increase with the number of miles we drive, but also because the more time-crunched we are, the more likely we are to attempt multitasking or otherwise drive recklessly.
In addition to endangering fellow motorists, bad behavior on the road can have costly consequences for your wallet.
So in the interest of encouraging health, happiness and WalletFitness, WalletHub independently assessed how tough states are on DUI, speeding and reckless driving as well as the corresponding insurance cost increases that high-risk drivers can expect.
This information enabled us to formulate a hierarchy of state strictness, followed by expert commentary and a detailed methodology.
♦ The five strictest states are: Arizona, Alaska, Georgia, West Virginia and Virginia.
♦ The most lenient states are: Michigan, Ohio, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and South Dakota.
Read more of the original article in WalletHub for the Main Findings, Expert Commentary and Methodology,