Worcester 10th Most Dangerous City for Drivers: Report

WORCESTER, MA—Drive through Kelley Square or Grafton Street at rush hour, and it'll be a good reminder; Worcester is one of the most dangerous cities for drivers in the nation.

According to a new study by finance site NerdWallet, Worcester landed as the tenth most dangerous city, one of two Massachusetts cities to make the top ten.

NerdWallet's analysis was based on five metrics: the rate of fatal crashes, the likelihood of an accident relative to other cities, the number of years between accidents, the risk of auto larceny and the risk of having a vehicle stolen.

In addition, drivers living in Worcester pay more for car insurance: an average of $668 more annually than those in Cary, NC, the safest city for drivers in the U.S., according to NerdWallet.

The Top Ten Most Dangerous Cities for Drivers:

1. Detroit, MI
2. Baton Rouge, LA
3. Baltimore, MD
4. Springfield, MA
5. San Bernadino, CA
6. New Orleans, LA
7. Atlanta, GA
8. New Haven, CT
9. Dallas, TX
10. Worcester, MA

Worcester's drivers pay an average annual car insurance rate of $1,396.83, have an average of 4.5 years between accidents and have a 120.7 percent likelihood of of having an accident relative to the national average.

NerdWallet also determined that larger cities tend to be more dangerous, and 13 of the 20 most dangerous cities are located in the South or on the East Coast. Twelve of the 20 safest places are in the Midwest and West, and three of the 20 safest places for drivers are in Arizona.

Read the full report here.

Patch file photo