Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Getting to and from work each day can be one of the most time-consuming tasks. A new report indicates that some cities take up more time than others and can be costly in more ways than one.
Utahns spend more than 50 minutes on average traveling to work every day, which adds up to about 134 commuting hours — or more than 5.5 days — each year.
Traffic data analyzed from the most recent U.S. Census Bureau survey of cities with populations exceeding 7,500 showed that Price registered the best commute in Utah, followed by Cedar City and Logan, according to Salt Lake City-based insurance broker Obrella.
1. Price
2. Cedar City
3. Logan
4. St. George
5. Washington
6. Vernal
7. Provo
8. North Logan
9. Orem
10. Park City
1. Eagle Mountain
2. Tooele
3. Grantsville
4. Bluffdale
5. Riverton
6. South Jordan
7. Summit Park
8. Kearns
9. Oquirrh
10. Alpine
Source: ObrellaThe places on the other end of the commuting spectrum were Eagle Mountain in Utah County, along with Tooele and Grantsville in Tooele County, according to Obrella.
But the real cost may be realized by those with the worst daily commutes when they insure their vehicles.
"If you're going five miles and it takes you 50 minutes, it won't affect your insurance premium," explained Obrella spokeswoman Rachel Drake.
When insurance companies ask you how long your commute is, providers use the information to assess the risk as a factor in determining premiums. Typically, the more miles you commute, the higher your premium will be, she said.
Though many people living in more densely populated areas may travel shorter distances to their jobs, they may actually save money on insurance compared with people who live in the suburbs, Drake noted.
Having a higher premium for longer commute times makes sense, as the farther you drive each day, the greater your risk of being involved in an accident, she explained.
If you do something to increase your commute time, like moving to a new home or changing jobs, your insurance company may raise your premium as much as $10 per month, Drake said.
"More than likely if you live in Utah and you're traveling a long amount of time and a lot of miles (commuting), it would negatively affect your insurance premiums," she said.
