Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report press release:
Philadelphia drivers crash more than those in any other large city for the third year in a row
Malvern, PA, August 26, 2014 – Allstate Insurance Company today released its tenth annual “Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report®” and Philadelphia ranked dead last among America’s largest cities (those with more than one million residents) and Pittsburgh ranked dead last among America’s smaller cities (those with between 250,000-499,999 residents) in terms of car collision frequency. The report underscores Allstate’s commitment to keeping roadways safer for customers and other drivers.
This year, new data uncovers how these cities rank when factors like population, population density and precipitation are considered. For the first time, Allstate is revealing the 2014 report, which contains new data rankings and historical rankings from the past 10 years in an interactive mapping tool found at www.allstate.com/BestDriversReport.
According to the report, the average driver in Philadelphia will experience an auto collision every 6.2 years, and is more than 61.2 percent more likely to crash than the average American. When looking at all 200 cities, Philadelphia lands at ninth worst. Pittsburgh is the only other Pennsylvania city on the list, landing at 14th worst overall but last among cities of its size. Pittsburgh drivers get into a car crash once every 6.6 years and are just over 51 percent more likely to crash than the average.
“We don’t want drivers in Philadelphia to be discouraged by their ranking. Instead, we want the report to challenge drivers in Philadelphia to make positive changes to their driving,” said Julia Reusch, Allstate Spokesperson. “Our goal with this report is to make the cities that fall on the bottom of the list safer places to live and raise families.”
The Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report was created to facilitate an ongoing dialogue on safe driving that saves lives. This year’s top honor of “America’s Safest Driving City” is Fort Collins, Colorado, the fourth year the city has held the top spot in the report’s ten-year history. According to the report, the average driver in Fort Collins will experience an auto collision every 14.2 years, which is 29.6 percent less likely than the national average of 10 years.
Below is a look at how both cities in the Keystone State finished in the Allstate America’s Bester Drivers Report.
| City & Overall Ranking | Collision Likelihood Compared to National Average | Average Years Between Collisions |
| Philadelphia – Worst among cities with more than 1 million residents, 9th worst overall | 61.2 percent | 6.2 |
| Pittsburgh – Worst among cities between 250,000-499,999, 14th worst overall | 51.3 percent | 6.6 |
For each of the location factors Allstate measured in this year’s report, the insurer recommends drivers use caution especially when driving under these conditions:
Highly populated cities
- Know what’s happening in the city during the time you’re driving. Find out if there are events that may impact traffic, and listen to traffic reports on your car radio. Avoid traffic jams or explore alternative routes, if possible.
- Get directions to where you’re going. Review directions carefully in advance. If you get lost mid-trip, safely pull over and wait until you feel calm enough to get back on the road, using that time to get directions, check traffic or call for help.
Densely populated cities
- Allow plenty of time to reach your destination. Stop-and-go traffic, gridlock, traffic signal stops, pedestrian walkways and events that create traffic detours can add time to your travel.
- Stay alert. Be prepared to frequently stop or slow down for pedestrians, emergency vehicles, delivery trucks, parking cars, taxi cabs, and public transportation vehicles such as city buses.
Cities with high levels of precipitation
- Keep a safe distance between other drivers. Stopping safely in rain and snow takes greater lengths of roadway than in dry conditions.
- Maintain your vehicle to prepare for extreme weather. Headlights and brake lights are critical in low visibility situations – be sure they are consistently maintained along with other critical car functions such as brakes and windshield wipers.
The Report
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 33,500 car crash fatalities occurred in 2012. Additionally, Allstate research found that 70 percent of vehicles involved in auto claims are considered drivable, which indicates that most claims are the result of low speed (under 35 miles per hour) collisions. Allstate utilizes the America’s Best Drivers Report to remind drivers to stay vigilant behind the wheel and protect themselves from challenging driving conditions.
