In my eternal search for useful comparative data on state government performance, I’ve just come across a regular survey by Overdrive, the trucker’s magazine. The most-recent survey of state road quality was conducted by an external research firm and appears to be statistically valid. Although the magazine does not provide the entire list of state rankings, it does report a series of Top Fives and Bottom Fives. North Carolina shows up nowhere (so, at least, we don’t rank at the bottom in pavement and safety conditions) but what is notable is that our neighbors Tennessee and Virginia rank high, as do regional competitors Texas and Florida:

2007 HIGHWAY REPORT CARD
Worst Roads

  1. Louisiana
  2. Pennsylvania
  3. Oklahoma
  4. California
  5. Arkansas

Best Roads

  1. Texas
  2. Florida
  3. Tennessee
  4. Virginia
  5. Ohio