Allstate has released its 13th annual Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report, which names Kansas City, Kansas, as the city with America’s safest drivers.
Based on Allstate claims data, the company unveiled the report to encourage safe-driving habits, especially with the approaching Fourth of July holiday, the deadliest day on the road for U.S. drivers, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
IIHS also found that July and August are the deadliest months on the road, with each averaging 116 deaths a day. So this summer, along with its Best Drivers Report, Allstate is launching a new safe-driving campaign to raise awareness of this community issue and urge people to stay alert while driving. The National Safety Council estimates that more than 40,000 people died in car crashes in 2016, making it potentially the most dangerous driving year since 2007.
“The America’s Best Drivers Report furthers Allstate’s commitment to public safety in communities nationwide, where we advocate for smart, focused driving habits that can help reduce collisions and save lives,” said Glenn Shapiro, Allstate’s executive vice president of claims. “We congratulate the drivers in cities that top this year’s report. Heading into the holiday weekend, we urge everyone to make safety their number-one priority whenever they’re behind the wheel.”
Safest Cities
This year’s three safest cities – Kansas City, Kansas, Brownsville, Texas, and Madison, Wis. – retain their places in the top three from last year’s report, with Kansas City jumping ahead of 2016’s winner, Brownsville, to earn the title of safest-driving city overall. The average Kansas City driver is about 32 percent less likely to experience a collision than the average U.S. driver.
Other highlights from the 2017 report include New York City’s significant improvement, rising 27 places from last year to the 116th spot overall, and Anchorage, Alaska’s distinction as the most improved city thanks to a 35-spot jump to no. 34 this year.
Understanding the risks that can cause crashes and impact a city’s rank and drivers’ safety is critical. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, preventable human factors such as drunk, distracted and drowsy driving, speeding and failure to use safety features contribute to 94 percent of car crashes. IIHS found that crashes happen more frequently on Saturdays, during certain holidays such as the Fourth of July, and between the hours of 3-7 p.m.
“With the improving economy and more driving, we’re unfortunately seeing more crashes and more crash deaths,” said IIHS President Adrian Lund. “Summer travel for vacations and recreation is often riskier than the daily commute. We hope this year’s Best Drivers Report encourages more people to buckle up, watch their speeds, avoid distractions and stay off the roads after drinking alcohol.”
The following are the 10 safest-driving cities, according to this year’s Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report:
- Kansas City, Kan.
- Brownsville, Texas
- Madison, Wis.
- Huntsville, Ala.
- Cape Coral, Fla.
- Boise, Idaho
- Laredo, Texas
- Port Saint Lucie, Fla.
- McAllen, Texas
- Olathe, Kansas
Collisions and Hard-Braking Events
For the third straight year, the Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report also analyzes the correlation between collisions and hard-braking events in more than 100 cities, using data collected by Allstate’s Drivewise offering, technology that enables consumers to monitor their driving habits to improve safety and gain rewards on their insurance.
A hard-braking event is defined as slowing down eight miles per hour or more over a one-second period. According to Drivewise data, nationally, the average American driver will experience approximately 19 hard-braking events for every 1,000 miles driven. Allstate found a correlation between hard-braking and collision frequency. Drivers in cities with fewer hard-braking events per 1,000 miles also tend to have fewer auto property damage claims.
The 2017 Best Drivers Report found drivers in the following cities experience the fewest hard-braking events per 1,000 miles:
- Kansas City, Kan.
- Madison, Wis.
- Mobile, Ala.
- Wichita, Kan.
- Anchorage, Alaska
Visit Allstate.com/BestDriversReport for an interactive map and full results for this year, as well as collision-frequency rankings in previous years’ reports.
