Survey: Most Crashes Close To Home
NU Online News Service, May 6, 1:56 p.m. EST?Seventy-seven percent of all auto crashes occur within 15 miles or less of motorists' homes, and Northeast drivers have the biggest number of crashes close to their homes, an insurer's study has found.
The survey by Progressive Insurance of Mayfield Village, Ohio, also reported that 52 percent of reported crashes occurred five miles or less from home.
Progressive noted that the data in their survey is not typically gathered by law enforcement or insurance companies. As part of an ongoing claims satisfaction survey process, Progressive said it asked more than 11,000 people who reported a crash in the last year how far from home they were when their accident occurred.
Alex Ho, consumer brand director, Progressive, said "Consumers may wonder why where they live is so important to an auto insurance company. Most people drive most of their miles close to home and understanding the risks associated with where someone drives helps insurance companies develop more accurate rates."
Progressive noted that insurers examine claims their customers have had in a geographic area with other information to help determine the cost of insurance.
Companies, Progressive said, typically consider factors such as how often crashes and thefts occur, and the cost of repairs and medical treatments in the area. Each company's claims experience can vary significantly, which is why the cost of auto insurance can vary widely from company to company.
The study also found
? Twenty-three percent of reported accidents occurred within one mile of
home.
? Accidents were more than twice as likely to take place one mile from home compared to 20 miles from home.
? Only one percent of reported accidents took place 50 miles from home.
? The region with the highest percentage of reported accidents occurring less than five miles from home was the Northeast, followed by the Midwest, West, Great Plains, Gulf, and Mid Atlantic.
? The region with the highest percentage (21 percent) of reported accidents that occurred 21 miles or more from home was the Great Plains; the Northeast had the lowest percentage (14 percent).
? Accidents by distance from home: One mile or less, 23 percent; 2-5 miles, 29 percent; 6-10 miles, 17 percent; 11-15 miles, 8 percent; 16-20 miles, 6 percent; and more than 20 miles, 17 percent
Progressive defined the various regions in its study as follows:
Great Plains = Colo., N.D., N.M., Okla., S.D., Texas, Utah
Gulf = Ala., Fla., Miss.
Mid-Atlantic= Del., D.C., Ga., Ky., Md., N.C., Va., W.Va.
Midwest = Ind., Iowa, Minn., Ohio
Northeast = Conn., Mass., Me., N.H., N.J., N.Y., Pa., R.I., Vt.
West = Ariz., Calif., Ore., Wash.
States not included in the study: Alaska, Ark., Hawaii, Idaho, Ill., Kan., La., Mich., Mo., Mont., Neb., Nev., S.C., Tenn., Wisc. and Wyo.
The Progressive group of insurance companies ranks fourth in the nation for auto insurance.
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