FLORIDA, USA — A recent study found that Florida's highways are among the worst in the nation in terms of spending and safety.
The non-partisan Reason Foundation released its Annual Highway Report which uses 13 categories to rank the highways of each state in the country. Among the categories used in calculating the rankings are pavement condition, traffic fatalities, spending per mile and administrative costs per mile of highway.
With that formula, Florida ranked No. 41 in the nation behind states like Illinois and Pennsylvania.
According to the study, the Sunshine State earns high marks in the conditions of its highways in both rural and urban settings. Where the state's low ranking comes from is traffic fatalities and the cost of spending on highways.
"To improve in the report’s overall rankings, Florida needs to reduce its costs and lower its fatality rate," said the lead author of the report, Baruch Feigenbaum.
Florida spends more than $167,444 per mile of highway than Texas and $175,603 more per mile than Georgia.
"The state’s roadways have generally smooth pavement, although urban interstate pavement quality is only average. But the very high costs are a problem," Feigenbaum said. "Additionally, while the state has taken steps to reduce the fatality rate, it remains very high, particularly for a heavily urbanized state."
The report also shows Florida ranks No. 37 in the nation when it comes to traffic congestion. On average, drivers in the state spend more than 17 hours stuck in traffic.