Allstate releases best drivers report

According to Allstate’s annual “America’s Best Driver’s Report,” individuals living in smaller towns get into fewer car crashes than individuals living in larger cities. At the gut level, this makes sense. The more drivers on the road, the more opportunities there are for a crash to take place.

As part of its report, Allstate noted that those who minimize distractions, allow safe trailing distances between other vehicles, remain aware of road conditions, avoid road rage and maintain their vehicle properly are less prone to car accidents.

Fort Collins Colorado, for the second year in a row, ranked as the safest city to drive in, based on the frequency of car crashes. According to the report, a driver in Fort Collins, which has a population of 145,000, will encounter a car accident once every 14 years. The national average is almost 29 percent higher, according to the report.

The following is the top ten list.

1. Fort Collins, Colorado

2. Boise, Idaho

3. Lincoln, Nebraska

4. Chandler, Arizona

5. Huntsville, Alabama

6. Knoxville, Tennessee

7. Springfield, Missouri

8. Reno, Nevada

9. Eugene, Oregon

10. Chattanooga, Tennessee

According to the report, seven out of the 10 safest cities had populations below one million. Among the least safe cities were Washington D.C., where the accident rate is around 60 percent higher than the national average, Baltimore, Los Angeles, and Newark, NJ.

This is the seventh year in a row that Allstate has released its “America’s Best Drivers Report.”

Source: CNN, “Report: Smaller towns top safe driving list,” Ed Payne, September 1, 2011.