Denver Named as One of the 25 Worst Cities to Drive in

According to a study released earlier this month, Denver is one of the 25 worst cities in the country to own and drive a vehicle in. 

The study, conducted by Wallethub, looked at the 100 most populated cities in the United States, and scored them based on 31 different metrics, including traffic and infrastructure, traffic safety and the overall cost of owning and maintaining a vehicle. According to their ratings, which are based on a scale where 1 represents the best score and 100 the worst, Denver was listed at 76.

Data collected and looked at in the study came from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Census Bureau and more.

At the top of the list was Lincoln, Nebraska, followed by Raleigh, North Carolina, Corpus Christi, Texas, Greensboro, North Carolina and Boise, Idaho making up the top five. The five worst cities on the list were Oakland, California, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Detroit and New York.

Colorado Springs was pretty much right in the middle at 55, and actually had the fourth best score in a category named “Lowest Accident Likelihood in City Vs. National Average”.

Substandard Road Conditions are a Big Factor

One of the biggest factors taken into consideration when determining how pleasant a city was to drive in, was road quality. And in the United States, road quality is a real problem. According to estimates from the American Society of Civil Engineers, the road infrastructure in the U.S. require $836 billion dollars worth of repairs. 

But infrastructure budgets for roads have long been underfunded in this country, and it’s taking a real toll on American lives. According to the World Economic Forum, the U.S. ranks 17 out of 141 economically developed countries for road quality. 

According to a study released in 2018 by TRIP, a national transportation research group, the annual cost of substandard road conditions for the average driver is $599. Different cities fared differently in their study, with San Francisco being the worst for poor urban pavement conditions with 71% of the city’s roads in poor condition. Denver came in at 17 and Colorado Springs at 19. 

But the real cost of bad roads can’t necessarily be measured in numbers, because the poor condition of our country’s roads results in the loss of thousands of lives each year. A study conducted by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation determined that substandard road conditions are responsible for as many as 42,000 fatalities each and every year. 

Futher Reading: Police Arrest Driver in July Colorado Springs Hit-and-Run

Contact Our Colorado Springs Car Accident Lawyers Today

Have you or a loved one been injured by the negligent actions of a driver? Are you concerned you won’t have the money to pay medical bills and lost expenses? If so, you need an experienced Colorado Springs motor vehicle accident lawyer on your side to help you fight for justice.

Contact the experienced attorneys at the Green Law Firm, P.C. today by calling (719) 694-8515, or by filling out the contact form on this website, to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation and discuss your case.