LA Drivers Are The Worst: Report States The Obvious

LOS ANGELES, CA — If you ever tried to switch lanes on the San Diego (405) Freeway, you discovered a cold hard truth: LA's a cutthroat town.

Allstate's 13th annual America's Best Drivers Report came to the same conclusion, ranking Angelenos among the nations worst. The report, based on the insurance company's claims data, ranked the City of Angels 193rd out of 200 cities Wednesday when it comes to safety behind the wheel.

On the rare occasion when a Los Angeles freeway permits it, LA drivers have been known to speed, tailgate, weave and cut each other off.

If there's any good news for L.A. in the report -- at least the city is better than Glendale, which ranked 195th.

Other Southern California cities making the list were Fullerton, ranked 188th; Garden Grove at 184th, Torrance (179th), Pasadena (171st), Anaheim (168th), Irvine (161st), Long Beach (155th), Corona (146th), Santa Ana (135th), Riverside (121st), San Diego (115th), Santa Clarita (109th), Orange (108th), Chula Vista (106th), Oceanside (100th), Escondido (98th), Pomona (96th), Moreno Valley (95th), Huntington Beach (86th), Lancaster (72nd) and Palmdale (71st).

The top ranking went to Kansas City, Missouri. Boston finished 200th.

The America's Best Drivers Report was released in advance of the July Fourth holiday, which Allstate -- citing the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety -- called "the perennial deadliest day on the road for U.S. drivers."

Allstate offered the following tips for safer driving:

• eliminate distractions, including electronic devices;
• allow plenty of time to reach your destination without rushing;
• obey speed limits and all other traffic laws;
• take heed of road conditions;
• leave a safety buffer between your vehicle and the one in front of you; and
• keep your vehicle properly maintained.

City News Service and Patch staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report. Photo: Shutterstock