Administration June 18, 2007

Fender Benders Still Rare in Sioux Falls

June 18, 2007 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Residents of Sioux Falls, South Dakota retained their status as the safest drivers in the U.S., according to the third annual "Allstate America's Best Drivers Report.
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The average driver in Sioux Falls will experience an auto collision every 13.7 years, compared to the national likelihood of a driver experiencing a crash every 10 years.   Sioux Falls barely held off Fort Collins, Colorado – second-ranked for the second year in a row – and where motorists experience a car crash only every 13.6 years, on average.   Drivers were ranked as the most “most improved” in Flint, Michigan, which also managed to pull into third place overall – well ahead of its 73 spot in 2005, and Warren, Michigan, which ranked #4 overall in best driving, was #2 on the most improved list (1) .

Rank/City
Collision Likelihood
Compared to
National Average

Average Years
Between Collisions
1. Sioux Falls, S.D.
27.2% less likely
13.7
2. Fort Collins, Colo.
26.2% less likely
13.6
3. Flint, Mich.
25.4% less likely
13.4
4. Warren, Mich.
25.0% less likely
13.3
5. Huntsville, Ala.
23.6% less likely
13.1
6. Knoxville, Tenn.
22.8% less likely
13.0
7. Chattanooga, Tenn.
22.7% less likely
12.9
8. Colorado Springs, Colo.
21.3% less likely
12.7
9. Milwaukee, Wisc.
21.0% less likely
12.7
10. Des Moines, Iowa
20.5% less likely
12.6

For the past three years, Allstate actuaries have conducted an in-depth analysis of company claim data to determine the likelihood of drivers in America’s 200 largest cities to experience a vehicle collision compared to the national average. Allstate’s auto policies represent about 12% of the U.S. population.

Most Improved

In the new category of “America’s Most Improved-Motorists,” Allstate compared three years of report data to identify cities with the most-improved drivers since 2005. Things have clearly improved in Michigan, which garnered all of the top five slots in this new category:

  • City & Overall Ranking
    2005-2007 Increase in
    Years between Accidents
    3. Flint, Mich.
    3.6
    4. Warren, Mich.
    3.2
    24. Grand Rapids, Mich.
    2.8
    25. Detroit
    2.7
    12. Sterling Heights, Mich.
    2.3
    54. Aurora, Colo.
    1.8
    16. Lexington-Fayette, Ky.
    1.7
    140. Yonkers, N.Y.
    1.3
    187. Arlington, Va.
    1.3
    191. Alexandria, Va.
    1.2

On the other hand, David Morena, Safety and Traffic Engineer Federal Highway Administration, Lansing, Michigan noted that “Trends have shown that when our Michigan economy is in a downturn, auto crashes tend to reduce as well.”

(1)The Allstate data excludes cities in the state of, where Allstate Insurance Company does not offer insurance products.

Best Drivers in Big Cities (based on years between collisions, alongside their ranking in the overall):

Rank/City
Collision Likelihood Compared
to National Average
Average Years
Between Collisions
78. Phoenix
2.0% more likely
9.8
116. San Diego
10.9% more likely
9.0
160. San Antonio
23.0% more likely
8.1
163. Houston
23.9% more likely
8.1
169. New York
27.0% more likely
7.9
178. Dallas
29.7% more likely
7.7
183. Chicago
34.4% more likely
7.4
185. Los Angeles
44.7% more likely
6.9
190. Philadelphia
51.9% more likely
6.6


Cities with 500,000 to One Million Residents...

Milwaukee drivers topped the list of safest drivers in mid-sized cities with populations between 500,000 to 1,000,000 residents for the third year in a row.  Milwaukee drivers experience a car accident once every 12.7 years on average, 21 percent less likely than the average driver. Drivers located in the top 10 cities in this break-out list for mid-sized cities are above average, level-headed drivers when compared to the average driver, according to Allstate.

.

Rank/City
Collision Likelihood
Compared to National
Average
Average Years
Between Collisions
9. Milwaukee
21.0% less likely
12.7
25. Detroit
13.5% less likely
11.6
28. Louisville, Ky.
13.0% less likely
11.5
33. Memphis, Tenn.
11.1% less likely
11.2
36. Nashville, Tenn.
9.8% less likely
11.1
39. Denver
8.4% less likely
10.9
50. Indianapolis
5.0% less likely
10.5
55. Tucson, Ariz.
3.8% less likely
10.4
56. El Paso, Texas
3.5% less likely
10.4
57. Oklahoma City
3.4% less likely
10.4

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Traffic Facts, more crashes occur on Saturdays than any other day of the week. Sunday ranked second and Friday came in third. Additionally, most collisions happen between 3 and 6 p.m. From 6 to 9 p.m. ranked second and 9 p.m. to midnight finished third. The fewest crashes occur between midnight and 3 a.m.

To create the report, Allstate researchers analyzed internal Property Damage reported claims over a two-year period (from January 2004 to December 2005) to ensure the findings would not be impacted by external influences such as weather or road construction. A weighted average of the two-year numbers determined the annual percentages. The report defines an auto crash as any collision resulting in a property damage claim.

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