Best, Worst Cities Ranked for Driving
Raleigh, N.C., took the top spot in the nation for driver friendliness, while Detroit appears at the bottom of the list, according to WalletHub's annual "Best & Worst Cities to Drive In" report.

Detroit (shown here in 2010) has been ranked as the worst city for drivers.
Photo via Timothygetsschooled/Wikipedia.
Raleigh, N.C., took the top spot in the nation for driver friendliness, while Detroit appears at the bottom of the list, according to WalletHub's annual "Best & Worst Cities to Drive In" report.
In fact, it appears the south swept the competition. Other cities ranking among the top five best places to drive include Orlando, Fla.; Lincoln, Neb.; Tampa, Fla.; and Winston-Salem, N.C.
To determine best and worst places to drive, WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities across 30 key indicators of driver-friendliness.
Detroit ranked as the worst city to drive in, followed by Oakland, Calif., Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Newark, N.J.
The report explores issues such as traffic congestion. While residents in Winston-Salem and Fort Wayne, Ind. spend the fewest annual hours (nine) in traffic congestion per auto commuter, Boston residents spend 164 hours, which is over 18 times more hours.
Fuel prices are another element factored into the driver friendliness quotient. San Antonio, Texas, ranked number one for the lowest average gas price at $2.36 per gallon while San Francisco scored the highest, with gas prices as high as $4.13 per gallon.
You’ll find the lowest parking rates in Corpus Christi, Texas, and Reno, Nev. ($1 per two hours), and the highest in New York City at $34.40 per two hours.
Maintenance of vehicles is yet another factor considered in the overall scoring system. While Jackson, Fla., ranks as the place with the lowest auto maintenance costs, Boston scores the worst featuring the highest costs for repairs and maintenance.
Auto theft probability is another element discussed in the report. Gilbert, Ariz., has the fewest cars thefts — nearly 25 times fewer than Albuquerque, N.M., the city with the highest. Read the full report here.
More Safety

IIHS Crash Avoidance Tests Reveal Safety Gaps in Cargo Vans and Work Trucks
New crash-avoidance ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reveal inconsistent performance among commercial vehicles, with several popular cargo vans and heavy-duty pickups struggling to avoid collisions with other vehicles and pedestrians.
Read More →
What’s Next for Fleet? Safety, AI & Industry Recognition | AF News Recap
Could your company's culture be encouraging distracted driving? This week, we're exploring how workplace expectations affect driver safety, what AI, EVs, and autonomous vehicles could mean for the future of fleet management, and how fleet professionals can strengthen their award nominations.
Read More →
Does Your Fleet's Culture Encourage Distracted Driving?
What happens when the people responsible for enforcing safety rules are the ones setting the wrong example? The answer may reveal why some of the biggest risks to fleet drivers have little to do with what's written in the employee handbook.
Read More →
Fleet Manager’s Ultimate Playbook: Navigating the New Standard in OEM Connectivity
Rising operating costs, driver safety concerns, and unplanned downtime are putting unprecedented pressure on modern fleets. Discover how fleet managers use embedded OEM connectivity and real-time vehicle data to cut TCO, prevent downtime, and protect drivers without aftermarket telematics hardware.
Read More →
From Driver Well-Being to EV Charging | AF News Recap
Mental health belongs in the fleet safety conversation. This week, we’re looking at five ways fleets can support employee well-being before a crisis, plus Holman’s expansion in Mexico, new one-day Fleet Forward passes, and why EV charging demand is outpacing infrastructure growth.
Read More →
Nexar-Nauto Merger Aims to Give Fleets Better Safety Intelligence Through Larger Driving Dataset
Stefan Heck tells Automotive Fleet that combining more than 10 billion miles of driving history with Nexar's AI models will give fleets deeper insights into driver risk and roadway conditions than either company could provide independently.
Read More →
Don't Wait for a Crisis: 5 Ways to Build Mental Health Into Your Fleet Safety Program
For Suicide Prevention Month, fleet and safety leaders have an opportunity to put mental health where it belongs: at the center of workplace safety.
Read More →
How Camera Data Can Strengthen a Fleet’s Insurance Renewal
Insights from a commercial insurance carrier and a broker show how fleets can turn video telematic data, driver coaching, and improved claims results into a stronger case at insurance renewal.
Read More →
The Safest Fleets Aren’t the Ones with the Most Technology
You’ve made the telematics investment. Here’s how to capture the other half of its value and build the safest fleet on the road.
Read More →
Hidden in Plain Sight: Fleet Compliance Risks
Fleet compliance isn't just about having policies — it's about consistently enforcing them. This practical guide reveals six hidden compliance risks common in public sector and shared fleet operations and outlines proven strategies to improve visibility, accountability, and audit readiness
Read More →