Are You One of the Most Miserable Drivers in America?
Is your state the home of the most miserable drivers in America? (Genaro Molina photo courtesy LATimes.com)
Researchers from the website CarInsurance.com have used what they call the “Automotive Misery Index” to determine which state has the most miserable drivers. Is it yours?
The study looked scientifically at average incomes, fuel expense, and insurance costs to find out how much of a person’s income he or she is likely to spend in an effort to keep their car on the road (not to mention legal, in this day and age of state laws requiring motorists to carry at least liability insurance coverage.)
CarInsurance.com reasoned that a Honda Accord could be bought just about anywhere in the United States for the same price, but the cost to own it would vary thanks to differing average incomes, fuel prices, insurance costs, and commute distances. (Photo courtesy Honda)
The study reasoned that a Honda Accord, for instance, could be purchased for roughly the same price anywhere in the United States, but fuel and insurance costs vary greatly, as do average incomes. So researchers compiled the average fuel price by state, according to AAA’s Fuel Gauge report, determined the average commute length for each state, and used those numbers to determine how much fuel and insurance cost would be required to keep a 2012 Honda Accord on the road, based on its EPA fuel economy ratings.
According to the Los Angeles Times, CarInsurance.com obtained the average insurance cost numbers from a survey of six insurance carriers’ rates in 10 ZIP codes per state. The rates were given for a 40-year old male with no violations and no convictions driving a 2012 Honda Accord sedan 12 miles to work. The hypothetical policy carried a $500 deductible on collision and comprehensive damage, bodily injury liability of $100,000 per person with a max of $300,000 per accident, and $50,000 in property damage coverage.
The study found that drivers in Mississippi are the most “miserable” in the nation, spending some 11.6% of their income on transportation expenses. New Hampshire drivers, meanwhile, were least-burdened by those costs thanks to shorter commutes and bigger paychecks, spending just 4.6% of their income on fuel and insurance. Click here to see the complete list.
If you’d rather just see if your state’s in the top 10, here you go:
- Mississippi- Average 20,424 miles/year- Gas price $3.66/gal.- Insurance cost $1,515- Average income $36,821
- Oklahoma- Average 20,010 miles/year- Gas price $3.68/gal.- Insurance cost $2,091- Average income $45,018
- Louisiana- Average 14,455 miles/year- Gas price $3.69/gal.- Insurance cost $2,529- Average income $42,813
- West Virginia- Average 15,276 miles/year- Gas price $3.93/gal.- Insurance cost $2,068- Average income $41,999
- Georgia- Average 17,834 miles/year- Gas price $3.84/gal.- Insurance cost $1,732- Average income $44,082
- Montana- Average 15,186 miles/year- Gas price $3.70/gal.- Insurance cost $1,924- Average income $41,286
- Michigan- Average 14,588 miles/year- Gas price $4.05/gal.- Insurance cost $2,088- Average income $46,597
- Kentucky- Average 16,099 miles/year- Gas price $3.87/gal.- Insurance cost $1,554- Average income $42,302
- Wyoming- Average 22,543 miles/year- Gas price $3.65/gal.- Insurance cost $1,780- Average income $52,848
- Arkansas- Average 15,325 miles/year- Gas price $3.67/gal.- Insurance cost $1,329- Average income $37,856
