If you’ve ever been stuck in endless traffic in the Chicago area …
If you’ve dodged potholes on any number of streets …
If you’ve been flipped the bird by a fellow driver …
Then you might find this difficult to believe. But our friends at WalletHub, the folks who get a kick out of ranking every state in a whole bunch of factors, think Illinois is the 10th-best state to drive in.
Tenth best. In the whole country. Seriously.
What’s the rationale, you ask? Well, WalletHub ranked states in six categories. Here’s how Illinois fared:
Share of Rush-Hour Traffic Congestion: 14th (not much traffic in Mansfield, apparently)
Traffic Fatality Rate: 8th
Car Theft Rate: 15th (presumably we’re much lower in Car Theft Rate From Your Driveway)
Auto Repair Shops Per Capita: 4th
Road Quality: 25th (GTHO!!!)
Car Dealerships Per Capita: 7th (this is a good thing?)
OK, now the key question: Which states are below us? I mean, Indiana drivers are terrible. Michigan, too. And don’t get me started on Tennessee.
The nine states who ranked ahead of Illinois, in order: Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, North Carolina, Oregon, Georgia, Alabama and Arkansas.
Evidently it helps to have a less-populated state. Has there ever been a traffic jam in Nebraska? Anywhere in Nebraska? And Georgia … have these people ever driven in Atlanta? You’d rather stick two forks in your eye sockets. (If you’re curious, Hawaii came in 50th).
But, hey, we’ll take it. When you live in a state that has set new standards for fiscal mismanagement and imprisoned governors, we’ll celebrate any “good” list we make.