Big Auto Insurer Ranks Cities For Best, And Worst, Drivers

Jun. 25--One of the nation's biggest car insurance companies ranks Charlotte drivers among the least safe in the U.S.

Allstate Insurance Co., in annual rankings, placed Charlotte a dismal 153rd-safest among 200 cities in 2019, matching the city's 2018 ranking.

Allstate bases the annual ratings on claims filed with the company, which covers about 10 percent of all U.S. auto policies. The rankings reflect two factors: the average number of years between filing insurance claims and "hard braking" events that the company says are linked to collisions.

Charlotte drivers score poorly on both, Allstate says. They file claims an average of every 7.8 years, compared to the national average of 10 years. Drivers in Charlotte are 36 percent more likely to have collisions than the national average, it says.

Charlotteans also slam on the brakes to avoid accidents 21.3 times for every 1,000 miles they drive. Nationally, that happens only 19 times every 1,000 miles, Allstate said.

The company bases its hard-braking data on customers who use its "Drivewise" app that tracks vehicle movements. Drivers who brake hard less frequently also file fewer property damage claims from accidents, the company says.

Last December, the online insurance site QuoteWizard ranked Charlotte the sixth-most accident-prone city among the 25 cities it ranked.

Cary fared best of the seven North Carolina cities Allstate ranked, coming in at 12th-safest. Durham ranked 73rd-safest and Raleigh 81st. In South Carolina, only Charleston was rated, placing 80th among the safest driving cities.

Among the safest-driving cities in the U.S., Allstate says, are Brownsville, Texas, Boise, Idaho, Huntsville, Ala., and Kansas City, Kans. The worst offenders include Los Angeles, Boston, Washington, D.C. and Baltimore.

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