Baltimore Drivers Ranked Worst In Nation

BALTIMORE — For the second year in a row, Allstate has ranked Baltimore drivers the worst in America. The insurance company released its findings in the 2019 "best drivers" report Tuesday, finding Charm City drivers were far from the safest behind the wheel.

The report was based on how many property damage claims were submitted in the 200 largest U.S. cities from January 2016 to December 2017, using Allstate's internal claims data.

By its analysis, Allstate found that Baltimoreans are the most crash-prone drivers in America.

In Charm City, the average crash claim is filed about every four years.

Nationally, the time between crashes is 10.57 years, according to the insurance company.

Meanwhile, drivers in Brownsville, Texas, were crowned the nation's safest drivers for the second consecutive year, averaging about 15 years between crashes, according to the report.

Below are the 10 cities with the least safe drivers, according to Allstate.

1. Baltimore
2. Washington, D.C.
3. Boston
4. Worcester, Massachusetts
5. Glendale, California
6. Los Angeles
7. Springfield, Massachusetts
8. Providence, Rhode Island
9. Alexandria, Virginia
10. Oakland, California

In Baltimore, analysts also found drivers have a tendency to hard-brake more than 30 times every 1,000 miles.

Hard-braking — applying the brakes to reduce speed suddenly — correlates with crash frequency, according to Allstate; cities where drivers don't hard-brake as often tend to see fewer property damage claims, Allstate reported.

The national average for hard-braking is 19 times every 1,000 miles. Data on hard-braking was based on participants in Allstate's Drivewise program in 2016 and 2017, which rewards drivers with lower insurance rates for doing things like staying below 80 mph.

Here are the cities with the safest drivers, according to Allstate:

1. Brownsville, Texas
2. Boise, Idaho
3. Huntsville, Alabama
4. Kansas City, Kansas
5. Laredo, Texas
6. Olathe, Texas
7. Fort Collins, Colorado
8. Overland Park, Kansas
9. McAllen, Texas
10. Cape Coral, Florida

The 2019 Allstate America's Best Drivers report was released Tuesday, June 25, ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, notorious as one of the deadliest on the roads.

On average, 100 people a day die in crashes around the United States, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. During the Fourth of July holiday, defined as a five-day period, an average of 120 people died in crashes each day.

Of the 601 deadly crashes during the July 4 holiday in 2017, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that nearly 40 percent involved alcohol.

"The goal of the America's Best Drivers Report is to make our roads safer and ultimately save lives," Allstate Chief Claims Officer Ken Rosen said in a statement with the June 25 report.

"Each of us needs to ask how we can do our part in our day-to-day lives and for our communities," Rosen said. "And beyond that, this country needs to come together to address pressing safety issues, such as rebuilding our roadway infrastructure to reduce risky conditions on America's roads."

The 15 Riskiest Roads

To mark its 15th year of releasing the best drivers report, Allstate also listed the roads in the top cities for crashes where most claims originated.

The insurance company encouraged drivers to advocate for traffic flow and infrastructure improvements in these areas and to minimize distractions.

Most of all, Allstate advised drivers to be extra careful on what it called these 15 "Risky Roads," including one in Baltimore:

• I-695 in Baltimore
• I-295 in Washington, D.C.
• Route 93 in Boston
• Main Street in Worcester, Massachusetts
• 134 Freeway in Glendale, California
• 405 Freeway in Los Angeles
• I-91 in Springfield, Massachusetts
• Route 95 in Providence, Rhode Island
• Richmond Highway in Alexandria, Virginia
• Highway 880 in Oakland, California
• Roosevelt Boulevard in Philadelphia
• Highway 101 in San Francisco
• I-10 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• 210 Freeway in Pasadena, California
• Highway 880 in Hayward, California

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.