Best and worst states for Aussie drivers

Driving can be a dream, but it can sometimes feel like a drag when stuck in traffic or driving over a pothole. Ever wonder how your state ranks for driving, car expenses, traffic and road quality? How do Australian driving conditions and motoring costs differ from state to state. New research into driving quality by Car insurance comparison service iSelect reveals which states and territories are the best for driving.  

iSelect has created an index examining various data sources, such as the cost of running a car compared to the average earnings, hours lost in rush hour traffic, road quality and road fatality rate for each state and territory.   

The Australian Capital Territory took the top spot in the index. The ACT had the lowest number of road defects, with only 7.35 reported potholes or damaged roads in the past year per 100,000 people. They also had the lowest road death rate in the country, with 2.31 per 100,000 people in 2024.  As for traffic, the average ACT driver spent 44 hours in rush hour traffic last year, the second lowest in Australia. 

Second in the index was Western Australia, which had the lowest motoring cost when compared to the average income of WA residents, spending 21% of it on motoring expenses. They also reported one of the lower amounts of road defects with 53.65 per 100,000, which is a promising statistic considering WA is the biggest state by size.  

Notably, the Northern Territory, which is the least populated territory in Australia, had the lowest hours spent in peak hour traffic, with just 28 hours reported per person in 2024. However, they had the deadliest road tolls in Australia, with 22.69 fatalities per 100,000, which is more than three times higher than any other state or territory.

Victoria came in last, being crowned Australia’s worst state for driving. Victorians have the highest motoring costs, spending more than a quarter (26.28%) of their annual average income on car-related expenses. They have some of the most congested traffic, with Victorian drivers spending 84 hours in rush hour traffic last year. The road quality was also one of the worst in the country with 165.05 potholes or damaged roads reported per 100,000 of the population.