Most Americans rely on cars to get around, as “87 percent of daily trips take place in personal vehicles,” according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. In addition, during the COVID-19 pandemic, fear of public transportation has led to more reliance on personal vehicles than usual. Due to the pandemic, 20 percent of people who don’t own a car are considering buying one.
While driving offers a more isolated commute, it is often a major hassle and expense. Drivers annually spend an average of more than 310 hours on the road. That’s nearly 13 days. Add the costs of wasted time and fuel due to traffic congestions, and our collective tab comes to about $1,400 per driver each year.
Road quality is another big factor in how pleasant one’s driving experience is. America’s highways and bridges are underfunded overall, with an $836 billion backlog of repairs needed, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers. The World Economic forum ranks U.S. roads at 17th in quality out of 141 economically developed nations, too. It’s clear there’s room for improvement.
But some cities are better for those behind the wheel. To determine those places, WalletHub compared the 100 largest cities across 31 key indicators of driver-friendliness. Our data set ranges from average gas prices to annual hours in traffic congestion per auto commuter to auto-repair shops per capita. Read on for our findings, tips and insight from a panel of experts, and a full description of our methodology.
Read the article at WalletHub
