N.D. among 10 best states for drivers

• Road trip

North Dakota's roads nabbed Forbes.com's top rating in the nation for road infrastructure and safety. On the negative side of things, Forbes.com speculates that this could be because of North Dakota's reputation as the state least visited by tourists.

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• Fighting a bad habit

North Dakota is among the 10 best states for drivers, mostly because the roads here are in such good shape, according to Forbes.com.

“Maybe it’s due to low population and its reputation as the state least visited by tourists,” the online magazine pondered.

Whatever. we’re better than neighbors South Dakota, Montana and Minnesota. North Dakota was ranked No. 4, beaten by South Carolina, Nebraska and Missouri, Nos. 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Mississippi was No. 5.

What went into the rankings are gas prices, auto insurance rates, infrastructure and safety, and legal protections for drivers. That last one is a rating of whether police and courts are “exploiting” motorists.

On gas prices, North Dakota was No. 31 from lowest to highest, according to GasBuddy.com, which Forbes.com cited as its source. This kept the state from getting better marks.

On insurance rates, North Dakota was No. 31 from highest to lowest, meaning it’s one of the lower ones, according to Insure.com, another source.

On infrastructure and safety, North Dakota was No.1 for “relatively low traffic volumes, modest congestion and good system condition,” in addition to spending fewer dollars per mile, according to Reason Foundation’s annual highway survey.

On legal protections, North Dakota was No. 45 from worst to best, meaning it’s closest to best, according to the National Motorists Association.

Which states were the worst for most drivers? California tops the list, followed by Illinois, New York, Michigan and Alaska. Minnesota was not among the 10 best or 10 worst states, according to the site.

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