PA Ranked as Eighth-Worst State for Motorists

Road trip season has officially begun, prompting CarInsurance.com to release a list of the best and worst states for driving.

Unfortunately, the survey released June 13 identifies Pennsylvania as one of the worst states in the nation for motorists. The Keystone State ranked 43rd overall, joining Rhode Island, Michigan, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and California at the bottom of the list.

The CarInsurance.com study evaluated states using several criteria, including:

• The cost of car insurance
• The percentage of uninsured drivers
• The number of annual traffic deaths
• The condition of infrastructure such as bridges and roadways
• The price of gas

Why PA Ranks as Eighth-Worst for Drivers

While the cost of car insurance in Pennsylvania is relatively low, and the rate of uninsured drivers is less than 7 percent, Pennsylvania fares worse when it comes to the condition of its roads and bridges.

According to the study, more than half of all Pennsylvania roads—57 percent—are considered to be in poor or mediocre shape. Pennsylvania's bridges aren't much better, with 42 percent of them considered to be in poor or mediocre shape.

There's more: In a national survey associated with the study, respondents said road and infrastructure deficiencies were a top irritating factor for them as motorists, with more than a third of them classifying them as major issues.

Beware of Bad Roads

Sadly, statistics show that bad roads and poorly designed intersections and bridges do more than just irritate drivers. They are reportedly a factor in more than half of thetypes.htm fatal car accidents in the United States.

According to one recent study, bad roads, deficient bridges, and poorly engineered intersections contribute to 22,000 motor vehicle accident deaths each year.

Edgar Snyder & Associates has been helping people injured in motor vehicle crashes for more than 30 years, and we encourage all motorists to use extra caution on the road when they encounter some of the most common road hazards. Here are some of the types of road deficiencies that can increase the likelihood of a crash that could damage your car, or injure you or one of your passengers:

Shoulder Drop-Offs

Make sure you steer clear of shoulder drop offs. Here's a rule of thumb: If the area to the right of the solid white line drops more than 2 inches from the road's surface, it has the potential to cause an accident.

Oiled-and-Chipped Roads

Throughways in need of resurfacing will often be oiled and chipped in an effort to prolong their life. The process, though, is a temporary fix, and can cause the road to be slippery and dangerous—increasing the crash risk for motorists.

Wheel Ruts

On roads that have not been recently resurfaced, wheel ruts—or grooves where the wheels dig into the road—can make them uneven and ultimately unsafe.

Work Zones

Work zones in Pennsylvania are usually accompanied by confusing signs and unpredictable traffic pattern changes, which can contribute to traffic accidents.

Edgar Snyder & Associates wishes you a safe summer road trip season. We hope that you don't have to deal with any of the common road deficiencies that are most likely to cause a motor vehicle crash. But if you do, we're here for you. Give us a call anytime to set up a free consultation of your case. We're available 24/7.