MAYFIELD VILLAGE, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--From Arizona’s Grand Canyon to New York’s Catskill Mountains, all 50 states offer unique, great places to ride. And more riders are hitting the road to take advantage of those scenic and thrilling rides: motorcycle and scooter sales rose 10.5 percent through the first quarter of 2011, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council. So whether you’re a newbie or a lifelong biker, you can plan your next trip with this list of the best states to ride, courtesy of Progressive® Insurance, the #1 insurer of motorcycles in the U.S.:
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Progressive’s list of best states to ride |
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1. Florida |
11. Alabama | |||
| 2. Georgia | 12. Texas | |||
| 3. Arizona | 13. New Mexico/West Virginia (tie) | |||
| 4. South Carolina | 14. Nebraska | |||
| 5. Kansas | 15. Tennessee | |||
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6. Mississippi |
16. Hawaii | |||
| 7. Oklahoma | 17. Kentucky | |||
| 8. Arkansas | 18. Louisiana | |||
| 9. North Carolina | 19. Ohio | |||
| 10. Iowa | 20. Utah | |||
“American riding is as diverse as American riders—from the city rider to the country cruiser,” said Dan Kamionkowski, motorcycle product manager at Progressive. “Some states that you may consider obvious good places to ride were not included in the top 20 when all data were taken into account—but they’re still great options.”
For example:
Where the sun is always shining—While California ranks in the top 10 (#6) for number of good riding days, The Golden State didn’t make the top 20 due to higher accident frequency, population density, and gas prices; and low percentage of smoother riding roadways.
Aloha spirit—While the weather in Hawaii offers bikers the highest number of good riding days, it’s edged out of the top 10 in part due to its low percentage of smoother riding roadways and high population density.
Escape the big city—New York has many great rides but one reason it’s not in the overall top 20 is because of New York City’s high population density. New York makes it into the top 10 (#6, up from #44) if New York City is removed from the population density data.
“Based on our experience, we pulled together what we consider to be important data to help bikers make better riding decisions. It’s not the end-all-be-all list of variables, for sure, since preferences vary from rider to rider, but we hope it will help riders plan their next road trip,” continued Kamionkowski.
Progressive looked at the following data to determine its list of best states to ride:
- number of good riding days (based on temperature and precipitation);
- likelihood of getting into a motorcycle crash;
- percentage of smoother riding roadways;
- population density; and
- average price for a gallon of regular gasoline
Here’s how states rank by each data set:
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Most number of |
Lowest likelihood |
Highest |
Lowest average |
Lowest |
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| 1. Hawaii | 1. Hawaii | 1. North Dakota | 1. Wyoming | 1. Alaska | ||||
| 2. Florida | 2. Mississippi | 2. Georgia | 2. Montana | 2. Wyoming | ||||
| 3. Arizona | 3. Florida | 3. Florida | 3. Colorado | 3. Montana | ||||
| 4. Texas | 4. Arizona | 4. Alaska | 4. Utah | 4. North Dakota | ||||
| 5. Louisiana | 5. South Carolina | 5. Kansas | 5. South Carolina | 5. South Dakota |
“As the number one motorcycle insurer in the country, we want to help bikers get the most out of their time on the road,” said Kamionkowski. “We hope this list offers them insight before they go full throttle on their next excursion.”
About Progressive
The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies makes it easy to understand, buy, and use auto insurance. Progressive offers choices so consumers can reach us whenever, wherever, and however it’s most convenient for them—online at progressive.com, by phone at 1-800-PROGRESSIVE, or in-person with a local agent.
Progressive offers insurance for personal and commercial autos and trucks, motorcycles, boats, recreational vehicles, and homes. It’s the fourth largest auto insurer in the country, the largest seller of motorcycle insurance, and a leader in commercial auto insurance. Progressive also offers car insurance online in Australia at http://www.progressiveonline.com.au.
Founded in 1937, Progressive continues its long history of offering shopping tools and services that save customers time and money, like Name Your Price®, the Snapshot DiscountSM, and a concierge level of claims service.
The Common Shares of The Progressive Corporation, the Mayfield Village, Ohio-based holding company, trade publicly at (NYSE:PGR).
Dan Kamionkowski is available for interview.
Complete ranked list and detailed methodology available upon request.