A study of drivers in the nation's cities has found residents of Sioux Falls, S.D., have the lowest accident rate, while inhabitants of Newark, N.J., are the most crash-prone, according to the second-annual "Allstate America's Best Drivers Report."
But whether a driver lives in a city rated safe or unsafe by the study, it will have no readily discernable impact on rates paid, according to Allstate spokesman Mike Siemienas.
"There are a great many factors that go into setting rates, and where you live is one of them," he explained.
Mr. Siemienas said it could not be stated with any certainty there would be an impact on rates due to place of residence in the hypothetical case of two motorists with virtually the same rating factors, except that one lived in Sioux Falls and the other Philadelphia.
Northbrook, Ill.-based Allstate's study of motorists in America's 200 largest cities revealed that the average driver in Sioux Falls will experience an auto collision every 14.3 years, compared to the national likelihood of a crash every 10 years–making them 30 percent less likely to have an accident than the national average.
Newark drivers by comparison will have an accident every five years–making them 100.6 percent more likely to have a crash than the national average.
Phoenix tops the list of safe driving cities with more than one million in population, with residents 3.6 percent more likely to have an accident than the national average.
At the bottom for safety in the over one million population category is Philadelphia. Residents there have a 51 percent chance above the national average of having a motor accident.
Allstate researchers analyzed company claim data to determine the likelihood drivers in America's 200 largest cities would experience a vehicle collision compared to the national average.
"The 'Allstate America's Best Drivers Report' elevates the country's discussion on safe driving. Our hope is that each year the Allstate report helps facilitate an ongoing dialogue that saves lives," said George Ruebenson, Allstate senior vice president for claims service.
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