Allstate America's Best Drivers Report® Ranks Safest Cities When Factoring Population Density, Urges Caution while "Laboring" through Traffic

NORTHBROOK, Ill., Aug. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Drivers in Boise, Idaho, are the country's safest when taking into account population density, according to the newest set of rankings from the 2019 Allstate America's Best Drivers Report^®.ⁱ Understanding there are many factors that contribute to car crashes, including number of cars on the road, Allstate standardizes the rankings to level the playing field between drivers in densely populated areas and their counterparts in smaller cities.

To spur positive change in communities, Allstate is lending a helping hand by offering $150,000 in grants that can be used for safety improvement projects on the 15 "Risky Roads"ⁱⁱ identified in June in recognition of the 15th anniversary of the America's Best Drivers Report. Local safety experts are working with Allstate to determine which projects will make a positive impact for motorists driving on these crash-prone streets.

"When you consider the impact a daily commute has on a person, it's not hard to imagine how one small traffic improvement can be a positive change for many," said Saat Alety, Allstate's Director of Federal Legislative and Regulatory Affairs. "Our grants signal Allstate's commitment to reduce risky conditions on America's roads in communities across the country, but it's just one piece of the puzzle. We need Congress to pass comprehensive infrastructure reform so we can rebuild a transportation network that ensures a safer future on the roads for everyone."

These are the 15 safest driving cities in America when accounting for population density:

The new list of the safest 200 cities is being released leading up to the Labor Day weekend and back-to-school season to encourage motorists to be extra cautious during this busy travel time. Using Allstate claims data, Allstate analysts use a predictive model to compare each city's collision frequency when factoring in its population – resulting in large jumps for dense cities like New York City (up 92 spots), Jersey City (up 74 spots), Chicago (up 49 spots) and Miami (up 47 spots), when compared to the list that doesn't take population density into account.

Allstate's "Risky Roads" Grants

For the first time, Allstate uncovered the "Risky Roads" with more collisions than other streets in each of the 15 bottom-ranked cities as identified in the initial America's Best Drivers Report rankings. Allstate is partnering with local transportation experts to invest in improvement projects focused on infrastructure, distractions, traffic flow, pedestrian safety and more.

Discussions continue on the projects, and more information will be shared in the coming weeks.

The "Risky Roads" grants are the latest example of Allstate's commitment to making America's roads safer. From taking a stand on mandatory seat belts in the 1960s to advocating for air bags to be standard in all vehicles in the 1970s, and from launching its innovative Drivewise® telematics product in 2010 to provide real-time driving feedback to leading the push for national Graduated Drivers Licensing legislation, Allstate continues to advance this vital community issue and help save lives.

Keeping Communities' Roads Safe

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that nearly 37,000 people died in traffic collisions in 2018.ⁱⁱⁱ Understanding the risks that can cause crashes and impact drivers' safety is critical, whether in a dense city or a rural area. According to NHTSA, preventable human factors, like drunk, distracted and drowsy driving, speeding and failure to use safety features, contribute to 94% of crashes.^iv The Allstate Blog has tips to help keep drivers and their communities safe in densely populated areas:

• Learn about the "move-over" laws in your state. In addition to yielding to emergency vehicles, most states have laws that dictate what a driver should do when certain vehicles are stopped on the side of the road.
• Leave plenty of distance between you and other vehicles – NHTSA recommends at least three seconds between you and the vehicle in front of you. The faster you're going, the more room you need to stop safely.
• Always keep your eyes on the road, stay vigilant and minimize distractions like cellphones.
• Stay alert and share the road with other vehicles, motorcycles, bikes and pedestrians. Always signal before turning or changing lanes to alert others on the road to your intentions.
• Obey the speed limit and give yourself enough time to safely get where you're going.
• Be sure to have an emergency roadside safety kit with caution signs and flares, and have a roadside service lined up for when you need a tow. Allstate Roadside Assistance provides options for coverage whether you're in need now, want to add it to your auto policy or you're interested in roadside membership.

Check out the Allstate America's Best Drivers Report for an interactive map and full results for this year, as well as historical data. To join the community safe-driving conversation, like and follow Good Driving Starts Young on Facebook.

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ⁱ The Allstate America's Best Drivers Report^® is the result of an in-depth examination of company auto claims data to determine the likelihood that drivers in America's 200 most populous cities will experience a vehicle collision compared to the national average. According to Allstate claims data, the average driver in the U.S. will experience a collision once every 10.57 years. This year, Allstate researchers analyzed property damage claims reported during the two-year period of January 2016 to December 2017. The report defines a collision as any auto crash resulting in a property damage claim and uses U.S. Census Bureau data to determine America's 200 largest cities. To obtain the population density factor, census population data is divided by a city's land-based square mileage. Hard-braking data is based on customers voluntarily enrolled in Allstate's Drivewise^® telematics program in 2016-2017. Some cities and their surrounding suburbs in the full 200 Best Drivers rankings are excluded from hard-braking analysis due to limited measurable Drivewise data or because Drivewise was not available (California, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas). Allstate's auto policies represent approximately 10% of all U.S. auto policies, making this report a realistic snapshot of what's happening on America's roadways. The Allstate America's Best Drivers Report is produced solely to boost the country's discussion about safe driving and to increase awareness of the importance of being safe and attentive behind the wheel. The report is not used to determine auto insurance rates.

Allstate found a correlation between hard braking and collision frequency. Drivers in cities with fewer hard-braking events per 1,000 miles tend to have fewer property damage claims. Nationally, the average American driver will experience approximately 19 hard-braking events for every 1,000 miles driven.

ⁱⁱ "Risky Roads" were determined by analyzing Allstate auto collision claim data related to driving in traffic with other motorists on roads within city limits during the two-year period of January 2016 to December 2017. Due to the nature of claim reporting, some collisions may have occurred in city outskirts or surrounding county. Roads outside of the bottom 15 ranked cities in the 2019 Allstate America's Best Drivers Report were not analyzed.

ⁱⁱⁱ National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities in 2018

^iv National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. DOT Announces Steep Increase in Roadway Deaths Based on 2015 Early Estimates and Convenes First Regional Summit to Drive Traffic Safety Behavior Changes

SOURCE Allstate

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