Pat

...Cedar Rapids, IA has the safest. Lakewood and Fort Collins are numbers eight and nine, respectively.

Here's the full article:
Who Ranks Best Behind The Wheel? Allstate Best Drivers Report Reveals Cities with Safest Drivers
Allstate (Business Wire via Google News) ^ | June 07, 2005


NORTHBROOK, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 7, 2005--Residents of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, rank as the safest drivers in the U.S. according to the Allstate Insurance Company's (NYSE:ALL) inaugural "America's Best Drivers Report."

The first-of-its kind ranking of U.S. cities with populations 100,000-plus, revealed that the average driver in the central Iowa city will experience an auto collision every 15 years, compared to the national likelihood of a crash every 10 years - making them 33.28 percent less likely to have an accident than the national average.

Allstate researchers analyzed internal data to determine the likelihood drivers in America's largest 196 cities would experience an auto collision compared to the national average.

"As one of the country's largest insurers, Allstate is uniquely positioned to present this significant report," said Daryll Fletcher, Vice President in charge of data and research at Allstate. "This wealth of data enables Allstate to salute America's best drivers and recognize their safe driving skills, which make all of our communities safer places to live, work and raise families."

Cedar Rapids city officials were not shocked that the city ranked high on the list.

"With the majority of crashes occurring within five miles of the home, it's reassuring that our residents are the safest," said Paul Pate, Cedar Rapids' mayor. "The quality of our community's driver education programs combined with the consideration of our Traffic Engineering department goes a long way to make our roadways safe for everyone. We thought we'd make the list, but we never realized we'd be No. 1 in the country."

The Top 10

Drivers across Iowa, Tennessee and Colorado shine as the nation's safest, as two cities from each state rank among the top 10 with the safest drivers, according to the report.

Rank/City ....... Collision Likelihood Average Years
.................................Compared to..............Between
...............................National Average..........Collisions
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1. Cedar Rapids, Iowa 33.3% less likely 15
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2. Sioux Falls, S.D. 27.4% less likely 13.8
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3. Chattanooga, Tenn. 27.2% less likely 13.7
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4. Huntsville, Ala. 23.8% less likely 13.1
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5. Knoxville, Tenn. 23.8% less likely 13.1
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6. Des Moines, Iowa 21.5% less likely 12.7
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7. Topeka, Kan. 20.6% less likely 12.6
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8. Lakewood, Colo. 19.7% less likely 12.4
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9. Fort Collins, Colo. 19.4% less likely 12.4
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10. Birmingham, Ala. 19.3% less likely 12.4
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"What makes this report from Allstate valuable is that it is based on real world collision data from actual drivers," said Allan Williams, the recently retired chief scientist and researcher at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. "Also, Allstate's auto policies represent about 12 percent of the U.S. population, making this report a realistic snapshot of what's happening on America's roadways."

Additional "Road" Scholars

Drivers in U.S. cities with populations of one million-plus are more likely than the national average to experience a collision. Phoenix, the top-ranked city in this category, mirrors the national collision average of one accident every 10 years.

Rank/City ....... Collision Likelihood Average Years
.................................Compared to..............Between
...............................National Average..........Collisions
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64. Phoenix 0.4% more likely 10
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111. San Diego 10.3% more likely 9.1
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121. Houston 28.6% more likely 7.8
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167. San Antonio 28.9% more likely 7.8
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169. New York City 30.3% more likely 7.7
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173. Chicago 35.2% more likely 7.4
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177. Los Angeles 38.3% more likely 7.2
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180. Dallas 39.3% more likely 7.2
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182. Philadelphia 46.2% more likely 6.8
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According to the report, Milwaukee drivers will experience a collision approximately every 11.5 years and rank as the safest of the metros with populations between 500,000 and one million residents.

nord1899

<ul><li><a href="http://www.allstate.com/media/newsheadlines/pr_2005/2005_06_07_best_drivers_report.pdf">http://www.allstate.com/media/newsheadlines/pr_2005/2005_06_07_best_drivers_report.pdf</a</li></ul>

Phantom RS

I swear they are the worst. No cities in Mass listed in the pdf (good or bad) at all??

But I've also lived in Philly, and they are clearly amongst the worst.

Stardog

I had the same thought, but remember that insurance rates in Mass are set by the state and as a result very few companies issue auto insurance policies in Mass. I suspect that Allstate is among them. But agreed--they are the worst!