Whether it's always wearing your seatbelt, never texting behind the wheel or keeping a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you, there are many ways to decrease your odds of being in an accident while driving. In an effort to highlight the importance of safe driving, Allstate Insurance Company has created an annual ranking that identifies which of the 200 largest U.S. cities has the safest drivers.
“By providing this information annually, Allstate and our agency owners across the country strive to bring drivers and communities together to talk about driving safety and consider solutions to keep our roads safer,” said Jim Ledder, vice president of auto claims, Allstate. “By spotlighting the cities with strong driver safety records and spreading the word about practical steps drivers can take, we're continuing to help protect people from life's uncertainties and prepare them for a more secure future.”
Curious where the most dangerous drivers are? Motorists in Boston, Mass., are 157.7% more likely to get in an accident compared to the national average, with an average frequency of one crash every 3.3 years. Not surprisingly, the 10 cities with the most crash-prone drivers are located in the Northeast and in California.
Some interesting findings from Allstate's research:
- The average driver will experience a collision every 10 years.
- 70% of vehicle collisions happen at speeds under 35 mph.
- A driver will experience 16 hard braking events for every 1,000 miles driven. A hard braking event is defined as slowing down eight miles per hour or more over a one-second time interval.
- Cities with higher collision frequency recorded more hard braking events.
Here are 20 U.S. cities with the safest drivers for 2015. Also, be sure to check out the Allstate infographic at the end of the article.
(Photo: Shutterstock)
20. Birmingham, Ala. (+12)*
11.2 years between accidents (on average)
10.7% less likely to get in a wreck (compared to national average)
*The number in parentheses notes the change in ranking from 2014 to 2015.
(Photo: Shutterstock)
19. Des Moines, Iowa (-6)
11.3 years between accidents
11.7% less likley be get in a wreck
(Photo: www.insideflorida.com)
18. Port St. Lucie, Fla. (+8)
11.3 years between accidents
11.8% less likely to be in a wreck
A pedestrian crosses the street near the Country Club Plaza shopping district Kansas City, Mo., Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. (Photo: AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
17. Kansas City, Mo. (-5)
11.3 years between accidents
11.8% less likely to be in a wreck
Main Street in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 14, 2015. (Photo: Sopotnicki/Shutterstock)
16. Colorado Springs, Colo. (-2)
11.4 years between accidents
12.1% less likley to be in a wreck
Traffic is diverted, left, along US Highway 60 after floodwaters spilled over a section of the roadway east of Springfield, Mo. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
15. Springfield, Mo. (+23)
11.4 years between accidents
12.3% less likely to be in a wreck
(Photo: Katherine Welles/Shutterstock.com)
14. Olathe, Kan. (-4)
11.4 years between accidents
12.3% less likely to be in a wreck
Rush hour traffic drives through minor street flooding in Montgomery, Ala., Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
13. Montgomery, Ala. (-7)
11.4 years between accidents
12.4% less likely to be in a wreck
The famous Virginia Street neon welcome sign in Reno, Nev. (Photo: Ffooter/Shutterstock)
12. Reno, Nev. (+5)
11.5 years between accidents
12.7% less likely to be in a wreck
A train is parked on the downtown overpass in Wichita, Kansas. The Eaton Hotel is seen in the background. (Photo: Bonita R. Cheshier/Shutterstock.com)
11. Wichita, Kan. (+5)
11.5 years between accidents
13.0% less likely to be in a wreck
(Photo: Konstantin L/Shutterstock.com)
10. Cary, N.C. (+14)
11.6 years between accidents
13.8% less likely to be in a wreck
Aerial view of Huntsville, Ala. (Photo: www.huntsvilleal.gov)
9. Huntsville, Ala. (-4)
11.7 years between accidents
14.7% less likely to be in a wreck
(Photo: photo.ua/Shutterstock.com)
8. Laredo, Texas (0)
11.7 years between accidents
14.7% less likely to be in a wreck
In this Nov. 12, 2013, file photo, vehicles pass a highway sign along Interstate 380 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, warning drivers that the 55-mph speed limit is enforced by speed cameras. (AP Photo/Ryan J. Foley, File)
7. Cedar Rapis, Iowa (+4)
11.8 years between accidents
15.1% less likely to be in a wreck
Emergency personnel make their way to multi-car pileup on Interstate 90 near Madison, Wis., Sunday, Jan. 6, 2008. Dozens of cars were involved Sunday in a pileup on a foggy stretch of highway that killed at least two people. Thirty-five people were taken to Madison hospitals, three with life-threatening injuries, she said. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)
4. Madison, Wis. (+3)
12.2 years between accidents
18.2% less likely to be in a wreck
Marina in Cape Coral, Fla. (Nadezda Murmakova/Shutterstock.com)
5. Cape Coral, Fla. (+10)
12.7 years between accidents
21.0% less likely to get in a wreck
An aerial view of Fort Collins, Colo., looking west toward the Rocky Mountains. (Philip Somersall/Shutterstock.com)
4. Fort Collins, Colo. (-3)
12.7 years between accidents
21.1% less likely to get in a wreck
Downtown Boise, Idaho. (IDAK/Shutterstock.com)
3. Boise, Idaho (0)
13.1 years between accidents
23.5% less likely to get in a wreck
This June 20, 2014 file photo shows the Southwest Key-Casa El Presidente, in Brownsville, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, file)
2. Brownsville, Texas (0)
13.3 years between accidents
24.6% less likely to get in a wreck
Kansas City skyline at sunrise. (Rudy Balasko/Shutterstock.com)
1. Kansas City, Kan. (+3)
13.3 years between accidents
24.8% less likely to get in a wreck
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Editor's note: The 2015 Allstate America's Best Drivers Report tabulates property damage collision frequency of Allstate insured drivers from 2012-2013. The report analyzes the 200 largest cities from the U.S. Census Bureau's Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places over 50,000, measured for 2013 as of July 1, 2014.
Check out the handy America's Best Drivers 2015 infographic, below.
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