Survey: Most Crashes Close To Home

NU Online News Service, May 6, 1:56 p.m.EST?Seventy-seven percent of all auto crashes occur within15 miles or less of motorists' homes, and Northeast drivers havethe biggest number of crashes close to their homes, an insurer'sstudy has found.

The survey by Progressive Insurance of Mayfield Village, Ohio,also reported that 52 percent of reported crashes occurred fivemiles or less from home.

Progressive noted that the data in their survey is not typicallygathered by law enforcement or insurance companies. As part of anongoing claims satisfaction survey process, Progressive said itasked more than 11,000 people who reported a crash in the last yearhow far from home they were when their accident occurred.

Alex Ho, consumer brand director, Progressive, said "Consumersmay wonder why where they live is so important to an auto insurancecompany. Most people drive most of their miles close to home andunderstanding the risks associated with where someone drives helpsinsurance companies develop more accurate rates."

Progressive noted that insurers examine claims their customershave had in a geographic area with other information to helpdetermine the cost of insurance.

Companies, Progressive said, typically consider factors such ashow often crashes and thefts occur, and the cost of repairs andmedical treatments in the area. Each company's claims experiencecan vary significantly, which is why the cost of auto insurance canvary widely from company to company.

The study also found

? Twenty-three percent of reported accidents occurred within onemile of

home.

? Accidents were more than twice as likely to take place onemile from home compared to 20 miles from home.

? Only one percent of reported accidents took place 50 milesfrom home.

? The region with the highest percentage of reported accidentsoccurring less than five miles from home was the Northeast,followed by the Midwest, West, Great Plains, Gulf, and MidAtlantic.

? The region with the highest percentage (21 percent) ofreported accidents that occurred 21 miles or more from home was theGreat Plains; the Northeast had the lowest percentage (14percent).

? Accidents by distance from home: One mile or less, 23 percent;2-5 miles, 29 percent; 6-10 miles, 17 percent; 11-15 miles, 8percent; 16-20 miles, 6 percent; and more than 20 miles, 17percent

Progressive defined the various regions in its study asfollows:

Great Plains = Colo., N.D., N.M., Okla., S.D., Texas, Utah

Gulf = Ala., Fla., Miss.

Mid-Atlantic= Del., D.C., Ga., Ky., Md., N.C., Va., W.Va.

Midwest = Ind., Iowa, Minn., Ohio

Northeast = Conn., Mass., Me., N.H., N.J., N.Y., Pa., R.I.,Vt.

West = Ariz., Calif., Ore., Wash.

States not included in the study: Alaska, Ark., Hawaii, Idaho,Ill., Kan., La., Mich., Mo., Mont., Neb., Nev., S.C., Tenn., Wisc.and Wyo.

The Progressive group of insurance companies ranks fourth in thenation for auto insurance.