California drivers know how miserable traffic can be - but, commuters in the Golden State also have the distinction of driving around on some of the roughest roads in the nation, according to a new study from Copilot.
According to the study, California's roads consistently ranked at the bottom of the list with Sacramento (11), San Diego (8), Los Angeles (tied 3), Long Beach (tied 3), Anaheim(tied 3), San Jose (2), Oakland (tied for 1st place) and San Francisco (tied for 1st place) ranked as having some of the worst roads in the nation for drivers. According to the analysis from Copilot, an incredible 46.2% of all roads in California are considered to be in "poor condition."
Compare that to the national average of 26.4% of states' roads in poor condition and you can see why California was ranked as the second worst state overall.
Poor road conditions aren't just a pain to drive on - previous studies have shown they are also linked to worse traffic, reduced safety and increased vehicle maintenance. According to AAA, potholes alone are responsible for more than $3 billion in vehicle repair costs for drivers every year.
The coronavirus pandemic has also forced people to delay their travel plans, or give up their daily commute (whether they're working from home or have been laid off/furloughed). With commuters driving fewer miles, that translates into lost revenue for the state and federal government that relies on gas taxes to maintain and fix the roads.
According to the study, California has:
- 46.2% of major roads in poor condition
- 8.0% of Interstates and freeways in poor condition
- 50.8% of Arterials/interchanges in poor condition
- 53.3% of minor arterials in poor condition
- 22.5 daily vehicle-miles per capita
- 3.0 miles of road per 1k people.
For reference, here are the statistics for the entire United States:
- Percentage of all major roads in poor condition: 26.4%
- Interstates and freeways in poor condition: 5.8%
- Arterials in poor condition: 26.4%
- Minor arterials in poor condition: 34.5%
- Daily vehicle-miles per capita: 24.9
- Miles of road per 1k people: 4.9
Photo: Getty Images