Nation’s Best and Worst Drivers

Sioux Falls, South Dakota, has been named America’s safest driving city by a recent Allstate report, titled “Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report.” Washington, D.C., came in last place; while Sioux Falls drivers suffer accidents only once every 13.8 years, DC drivers experience one ever 4.7 years.

The eighth annual report from Allstate ranks the United States’ 200 largest cities in terms of car collision frequency. Smaller populations usually score better; last year, Fort Collins, Colo., took the top spot, but 2012 marks the fifth time Sioux Falls has garnered it in the eight years the research has been conducted.

Car crash fatalities are at the lowest level they've been since 1949, but still average more than 32,000 every year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The national average for time between auto collisions is 10 years.

Boise, Idaho; Fort Collins, Colo.; Madison, Wisc.; and Lincoln, Neb., round out the top five safest cities to drive in, in that order.

In terms of cities with populations of more than one million people, Phoenix, Ariz., ranked 53 overall, took the top spot yet again with drivers suffering collisions once every 10.2 years, which makes it the only such city with a collision average higher than the national average. San Diego (ranked 124 overall with an 8.8 average), San Antonio (ranked 141 overall with an 8.3 average), Chicago (ranked 152 overall with an average of 7.9) and Houston (ranked 153 overall also with an average of 7.9) rounded out the top five in the one million-plus category.

Leaders in other population categories included Indianapolis, Ind., (ranked 60 overall) among cities with populations between 750,000 and one million people, Tuscon, Ariz., (ranked 13 overall) among cities with populations between 500,000 and 749,999 people, and Lincoln, Neb., (ranked 5 overall) among cities with populations between 250,000 and 499,999 people.

The report defines an auto crash as any collision resulting in a property damage claim. Allstate's auto policies represent about 10 percent of all U.S. auto policies, providing a representative sample.

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