32,675.
That’s the number of traffic fatalities that occurred in the U.S. in 2014, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And it isn’t surprising, not in the least. That’s because the average driver will experience a collision every 10 years, according to Allstate Insurance, and the majority of those accidents (94%) will be preventable.
With stats like these, what’s a good driver to do? Perhaps move to one of the cities that made Allstate’s America’s Best Driver’s Report, released this week.
Between 2013 and 2014, Allstate tabulated the property damage frequency of Allstate insured drivers by comparing the the 200 largest cities from the U.S. Census Bureau. Suburban areas with less than 100 auto property claims reported between January 2013 and December 2014 were excluded.
To organize its data, Allstate scrutinized various details of customers’ claims, such as the average years between customers’ claims, the number of braking events per 1,000 miles, and its Best Drivers Report Ranking from last year. Some data was culled from AllState’s Drivewise app, which tracks a person’s driving behavior and rewards good practices.
Where the Safest Drivers Are
Brownsville, Texas, topped the list, with an average 14.6 years between claims and the distinction of being the second-top city on Allstate’s Best Drivers Report Ranking in 2015. Here are the other U.S. cities that made the cut:
1. Brownsville, Texas
2. Kansas City, Kansas
3. Madison, Wisconsin
4. Cape Coral, Florida
5. Boise, Idaho
6. Huntsville, Alabama
7. Port St. Lucie, Florida
8. Wichita, Kansas
9. Olathe, Kansas
10. Reno, Nevada
Playing It Safe
While it helps to live in one of the cities listed above where drivers are clearly more cautious, according to Allstate’s report, it doesn’t hurt to take some steps to play it safer yourself. For starters, you can invest in proper auto insurance, since driving around without coverage is against the law and could ravage your finances if you’re involved in a crash. Your credit plays a key role in determining your rate, so a good place to start would be to see where you stand. (You can view two of your scores, updated every 14 days, for free on Credit.com.)
Also keep in mind the other factors that influence insurance, such as your history of car insurance — or lack thereof — why you drive and even whether you’re married. You can learn more about the factors that go into your insurance rate here.
Image: Sasa Dinic
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