Worst Roads

edited by Madelyn Miller

Louisiana Roads Voted Nation's Worst for Second Year; Arkansas' Most Improved

While campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee touts his road improvement efforts that moved Arkansas from the state with the worst roads to "the most improved road system in the country," he says, in the annual Highway Report Card survey conducted by Overdrive, the trucking industry's leading magazine for owner-operators.

Huckabee will be pleased to learn that Arkansas' I-40 once again gains high marks for Most Improved Segment - for the third year in a row.

Not faring so well is Louisiana, named the state with the nation's worst roads for the second consecutive year as it continues to recover from hurricanes Katrina and Rita. And all-time worst offender Pennsylvania, which topped the Worst Roads category for 12 of the survey's 17 years, ranks second on both the Worst Roads and Most Improved Road lists.

Texas tops more superlative lists than any other state, ranking first for Best Roads, most available overnight truck parking, best truck stops and best four-wheelers. Tennessee's 450-mile segment of I-40 tops the best segment of road list for the second year in a row.

Annual survey also ranks best roads, best and worst car drivers.

Other survey highlights:

-- Most respondents said road rage increased during the past  year, with 31 percent saying it increased significantly.
-- New York beat out California for the honor of having the  worst automobile drivers; Texas again had the best drivers.
-- Alabama continues to have the weakest truck inspections and  law enforcement; California has the toughest.

More than 375 owner-operators, most with at least 20 years in the industry, responded to this year's survey. Each category is based on a separate question.  

WORST ROADS
1. Louisiana
2. Pennsylvania
3. Oklahoma
4. California
5. Arkansas

BEST ROADS
1. Texas
2. Florida
3. Tennessee
4. Virginia
5. Ohio

WORST SEGMENT
1. I-10 Louisiana
2-3. (tie) I-40 Oklahoma and I-80 Pennsylvania
4. I-40 Arkansas
5. I-5 California

BEST SEGMENT
1. I-40 Tennessee
2. I-75 Florida
3. I-10 Texas
4. I-81 Virginia
5. I-80 Ohio

MOST IMPROVED SEGMENT
1. I-40 Arkansas
2. I-80 Pennsylvania
3-4. (tie) I-30 Arkansas and I-10 Louisiana
5-6. (tie) I-75 Georgia and I-44 Missouri

WORST FOUR-WHEELERS
1. New York
2. California
3. Illinois
4. Florida
5. Texas

BEST FOUR-WHEELERS
1. Texas
2. California
3-4. (tie) Wyoming and Tennessee
5. Minnesota

TOUGHEST TRUCK INSPECTIONS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
1. California
2. Ohio
3. Pennsylvania
4. Iowa
5. Connecticut

WEAKEST TRUCK INSPECTIONS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
1. Alabama
2. Texas
3. Oklahoma
4. West Virginia
5. South Carolina

I-40 Tennessee Photo by Todd Dills, Senior Editor, Truckers News & Overdrive

Madelyn Miller is a travel and food writer who is also a proud member of TAWA, the Texas Automotive Writers Association. Read her stories on www.travellady.com, www.carladynews.com, www.yogayaya.com, www.chocolateatlas.com, www.cocktailatlas.com, www.coffeeatlas.com and www.teaAtlas.com