Maryland ranked among nation’s worst states to drive

WASHINGTON — Nothing about driving in this area is tremendous, but a new survey says Maryland is one of the worst places of all.

Bankrate.com’s ratings took into account factors such as the number of fatal crashes; car thefts; car repair costs; gasoline spending; insurance premiums; and commute times, and found Maryland the fourth-worst state in the country to drive in.

Specifically, Maryland has the longest average commute in the U.S. (30 minutes, about 6 minutes above the national average), as well as the 11th-highest insurance premiums. It also ranked above average in repair costs, rate of car thefts and annual gas spending.

Maryland did, however, have the sixth-lowest rate of fatal crashes in the country — 0.83 deaths per 100 million miles driven.

The best state on Bankrate’s list is Idaho, with low gas and insurance costs, below-average thefts and short commutes. The worst? Louisiana, mostly due to high fatal-crash rates and the country’s highest insurance rates.

Virginia ranked 19th. Bankrate says insurance premiums in the commonwealth are low, while theft and fatal crash rates, “relatively mild.” But gasoline spending, commute times and repair costs were all above average.

This isn’t the first time this area has ranked highly — or lowly — as a place to drive, though other studies, some looking at different factors, have placed D.C. at the top.

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