Americas Best, Worst and Deadliest Roads Ranked in April Issue of Reader's Digest

NEW YORK, March 15 /PRNewswire/ --Reader's Digest revealed the best, worst and deadliest roads in America, and exposed the risks drivers pose to themselves and others. Reader's Digest then ranked all 50 states and determined the safest, most scenic and sensible roads, along with the most dangerous roads, including the top ten deadliest for DUIs and speeding. The findings are revealed in a special report in the April issue of Reader's Digest, on sale March 16th.

Peggy Northrop, Reader's Digest VP/Global Editor-in-Chief, says, "For decades, Reader's Digest has been a vocal proponent of safer roads in America. We hope our readers will use this report as a guide to becoming more aware of the road conditions in their own states and correct the unsafe driving behavior that transpires in the everyday lives of our nation's drivers."

The top ten states with the "Best Roads" include: 1) Kansas; 2) Wisconsin; 3) Montana; 4) New Mexico; 5) Utah; 6) North Dakota; 7) Wyoming; 8) Nebraska; 9) Virginia; and 10) Oregon.

The top ten states with the "Deadliest Roads" include: 1) Montana; 2) Louisiana; 3) South Carolina; 4) West Virginia; 5) Arkansas; 6) Mississippi; 7) Kentucky; 8) Wyoming; 9) Alabama; and 10) Nevada.

The article states, "Although Montana appears at No. 3 on the Best Roads list (good infrastructure, little congestion), it tops the Deadliest list in part because of drivers who drink, drive recklessly, or shun seat belts."

Among the "Worst Roads" are Louisiana roads in general, but I-55 and I-12 east of Baton Rouge are particularly dangerous, the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-78 and I-80), I-95 over the George Washington Bridge in New Jersey/New York and the Will Rogers Turnpike (I-44) in Oklahoma.

The "Best Roads" list was determined by the latest data from the Federal Highway Administration, while the "Deadliest Roads" were calculated using a simple ranking of fatalities per 100 million miles driven. The story also offers simple solutions that legislators and local highway officials can implement to fix the problem. Complete statistics, as well as the methodology used in the report and other information, are available at http://www.readersdigest.com/bestandworstroads.  

The top ten "Deadliest Roads" for DUI include: 1) Montana; 2) South Carolina; 3) Louisiana; 4) Wyoming; 5) West Virginia; 6) Mississippi; 7) North Dakota; 8) Texas; 9)Alabama; and 10) Arkansas. The highest ranked states for speeding include: 1) Alabama; 2) Mississippi, 3) South Carolina; 4) Wyoming; 5) Alaska; 6) Montana; 7) Pennsylvania; 8) Missouri; 9) Arizona; and 10) Texas.

The country's safest and most sensible roads include: 1) I-35 through Kansas; 2) the Montana interstates; 3) I-75 in northern Florida; 4) I-80 in Utah; and 5) I-95 between Elkton; and 6) Baltimore, Maryland.

The report also reveals what truckers report seeing on the open roads. Michelle Crouch, one of the authors of the article, reports that there are a number of factors that contribute to auto accidents. Some of the wildest things truckers have seen:

• "One time on the 405 in LA, I saw a woman switch from a very nice business outfit into a leotard. At one point, she was just sitting there in her undergarments."
• "What I see all the time is women steering with their knee, with the makeup mirror in one hand and a brush in the other, putting on eye shadow and blush going 65 or 70 miles and hour. Usually they're going back and forth across the line, running over and hitting the rumble strips. I blow the horn at them."
• "A woman had her baby in the front seat next to her and was changing the baby's diaper."
• "I've seen a lot of people sewing or knitting while they're driving. And, you know, that takes two hands."
• "I had a lady pass me at 70 miles and hour, and I looked down, and her dog- a little Jack Russell Terrier- was standing on his back legs resting his paws on the steering wheel."

Reader's Digest reaches nearly 40 million readers each month in the United States and twice as many worldwide. Its U.S. website is www.readersdigest.com. The magazine is published in 50 editions and 21 languages and reaches readers in more than 60 countries. It is the flagship of The Reader's Digest Association, Inc., a global publisher and direct marketer of products that inform, entertain, and inspire people of all ages. Global headquarters are in Pleasantville, NY.

SOURCE Reader's Digest