FORT COLLINS, Colo.,
Sept. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/
-- Allstate Insurance Company today released its eleventh
annual "Allstate America's Best Drivers Report®" and Fort Collins was ranked as the fourth safest
among America's 200 largest citiesi in terms
of car collision frequency. The report underscores Allstate's
commitment to keeping roadways safer.
According to the report, the average driver in Fort Collins will experience an auto collision
every 12.7 years. Fort Collins
ranks second when population density is considered and seventh when
precipitation is considered.
"As a trusted advisor to Allstate customers in Northern Colorado, we're sharing these report
results to help them become safer drivers," said Sue Helfrich, Allstate agency owner in
Northern Colorado. "While Fort
Collins ranks highly on the report, slowing down, leaving room
between you and other drivers, and minimizing distractions are tips
for Fort Collins' drivers to
always remember to remain safe while on the road."
The Allstate America's Best Drivers Report was created to
facilitate an ongoing dialogue on safe driving that saves lives.
Kansas City, Kansas, is recognized
as the safest driving city in America with the average driver
experiencing an auto collision every 13.3 years, which is 24.8
percent less likely than the national average of every 10
years.
Recently, the National Safety Council estimated the
U.S. is on track for its deadliest driving year since
2007.ii For the first six months of 2015, NSC reported
traffic deaths are up 14 percent from a year ago, and serious
injuries are 30 percent higher over the same period. While there
are many factors that impact highway safety, an improving economy
and lower gas prices have led to an increase in the number of miles
being driven. The Federal Highway Administration's latest Traffic
Volume Trend Report says cumulative travel for 2015 is up by 3.5
percent.iii The June report is based on hourly traffic
count data reported by the states, using data collected at
approximately 4,000 continuous traffic counting locations
nationwide.
Below is a look at how other cities in Colorado finished in the Allstate America's
Best Drivers Report.
City & Overall
Ranking
|
Collision
Likelihood Compared to National Average
|
Average Years
Between Collisions
|
Colorado Springs,
16
|
-12.1%
|
11.4
|
Lakewood,
24
|
-8%
|
10.9
|
Denver, 84
|
+11.5%
|
9.0
|
Aurora,
118
|
+18.3%
|
8.5
|
Allstate visually depicts the report in an interactive map found
at www.allstate.com/BestDriversReport. The map features the
America's Best Drivers Report with historical collision frequency
rankings from the past 11 years in an interactive format.
New this year, the report provides information about a notable
factor in collisions – braking habits – in approximately 100 cities
nationally. Allstate pulled data from its Drivewise® offering, an
innovative technology that allows consumers to monitor their
driving habits to improve safety and gain discounts on their
insurance, to determine braking trends. A hard braking event is
defined as slowing down eight miles per hour or more over a
one-second time interval.
Allstate found a correlation between hard braking and collision
frequency. Cities with higher collision frequency also recorded
more hard braking events. Nationally, on average, a driver will
experience 16 hard braking events for every 1,000 miles driven.
Here are the list of Iowa
cities with drivers' average hard braking events per 1,000 miles
driven:
Drivewise® Hard
Braking Events
(Cities' drivers with average events
per 1,000 miles)
|
Fort
Collins
|
16.6
|
Colorado
Springs
|
17.1
|
Lakewood
|
20.5
|
Denver
|
17.3
|
Aurora
|
19.1
|
Driving tips for cities with high braking activity:
- Leave room between you and other vehicles. Hard braking
collisions often occur when drivers are following each other too
closely causing rear-end collisions. Try to avoid rear-end
collisions by leaving more space and time to react to other
vehicles' actions.
- Minimize distractions while driving. Distracted driving
is one of the main causes for collisions.iv Common
driving distractions include eating, grooming, talking on a cell
phone or texting, interacting with other passengers, adjusting
navigation devices and playing loud music.
In addition to the traditional collision frequency rankings, two
unique rankings among the top 200 largest cities are featured in
the 2015 report. These location factor rankings include population
density and precipitation, and show how some cities' rankings can
change when taking these challenging roadway conditions into
consideration.
Colorado Cities'
Rankings When
Factoring in Population
Density
|
Fort Collins,
2
|
Colorado Springs,
19
|
Lakewood,
11
|
Denver, 65
|
Aurora,
137
|
Driving tips for 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.
Colorado Cities'
Rankings When
Factoring in
Precipitation
|
Fort Collins,
7
|
Colorado Springs,
21
|
Lakewood,
28
|
Denver, 97
|
Aurora,
125
|
Driving tips for cities with high levels of
precipitation:
- Be aware of road conditions. Ice, snow, fog, rain - all
of these weather conditions require extra caution and slower
speeds. 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 Allstate America's Best Drivers Report®
For the
past 11 years, Allstate actuaries have conducted an in-depth
analysis of company claims data to determine the likelihood drivers
in America's 200 largest cities will experience a vehicle collision
compared to the national average. Reported property damage claims
were analyzed over a two-year period (from January 2012 to December
2013).
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
an estimated 32,675 car crash fatalities occurred in 2014.
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.
About Allstate
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is
the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer,
protecting approximately 16 million households from life's
uncertainties through auto, home, life and other insurance offered
through its Allstate, Esurance, Encompass and Answer Financial
brand names. Allstate is widely known through the slogan "You're In
Good Hands With Allstate®." The Allstate brand's network
of small businesses offers auto, home, life and retirement products
and services to customers in the United
States and Canada. In the
20 years since Allstate became a fully independent public company,
The Allstate Foundation, Allstate, its employees and agency owners
have donated more than $405 million
to support local communities.
i The Allstate America's Best Drivers
Report® tabulates property damage collision frequency of Allstate
insured drivers from 2012-2013.The report analyzes the 200 largest
cities from the U.S. Census Bureau's Annual Estimates of the
Population for Incorporated Places over 50,000, measured for 2013
as of July 1, 2014. In prior years,
neighboring cities that shared zip codes also shared rankings. This
only impacted a minimal number of cities; however, in 2014 and
2015, the report used geolocation to increase accuracy and there
are no longer shared rankings. U.S. Census Bureau data was used to
obtain the population density factor. For the precipitation factor,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data was
utilized. Allstate Drivewise® data is based on Allstate customers
voluntarily enrolled in the telematics program from
2010-2014. A number of cities from the full 200 Best Drivers
rankings are excluded in the Drivewise data due to the limited
measurable data available, or because Drivewise was not available
(California, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas). The Allstate 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.
[ii] National Safety
Council,
http://www.nsc.org/Measure/Pages/safety-management-research-statistical-services.aspx
[iii] Traffic Volume Trends (US DOT – Federal Highway
Administration, Office of Highway Policy Information):
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/travel_monitoring/tvt.cfm
[iv] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
www.distraction.gov
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fort-collins-ranks-4th-among-safest-cities-on-the-11th-annual-allstate-americas-best-drivers-report-300135617.html
SOURCE The Allstate Corporation