Which States Cause the Most Damage to Your Car?

Car damage can occur for several reasons, and we’re all vulnerable to it at any time or place. Weather events are a huge factor in vehicle wear and tear. Hail can be a death sentence for your car, and intense UV radiation and heat can gradually destroy your car’s interior and paint job. Areas that must salt roads in winter do so to keep us safe on the road, but unfortunately, salt also damages cars and breaks down roads, leaving behind dangerous potholes. The Grease Monkey researchers took all these factors and considered them together to create a ranking system to show us the states that do the most damage to cars. Each state in the U.S. is ranked based on the severity of vehicle risk and deterioration.

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The team notes that hail was one of the most significant factors in their weather analysis. The size of hailstones will determine the damage, and areas with more frequent hailstorms will increase the likelihood of significant damage, such as cracked windows and broken headlights. Snowfall, ice, and sleet also greatly increase the risk of car damage. Frozen mechanical parts are more likely to break, and icy road conditions lead to dangerous crashes. Humid weather in general leads to more rust, so frequent rainfall and salty coastal air can take a slow toll as well. Natural disasters like floods and tornadoes can destroy a vehicle, so the team counted how many of these events each state has experienced since 1953.

Poor roads were another important factor in the team’s analysis. They counted the total percentage of a state’s roads considered to be in “acceptable” condition. Potholes, rough roads, and debris wreck tires, rims, and undercarriage components. Bad roads often have loose rocks that can kick up to shatter a windshield or dent a car’s body. The team found that the states with the worst roads are Rhode Island, Hawaii, New Mexico, Connecticut, and Mississippi. The states with the highest percentage of roads in good condition are Indiana, Kansas, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Vermont.

Combining all of these factors, the Grease Monkey analysis shows us that these ten states will cause the most damage to a car:

– Texas
– Mississippi
– New York
– Delaware
– Oklahoma
– Missouri
– Minnesota
– Kansas
– West Virginia
– North Dakota

This map can help drivers determine what factors are most likely to damage their car based on where they live. While we can’t do much to affect the quality of a state’s roads, it’s a good reminder to be vigilant and slow down for potholes. Heat damage to a car’s interior can be prevented with a sunscreen in the windshield. Building a garage can help protect your car from hail, snow, ice, and rain. Defensive driving will help you to be safe from accidents. People figuring out a car-buying budget can also consider these factors, which drive up insurance premiums.