Apparently, nothing good at all is happening in Washington, D.C. these days. Residents can't even escape the political hot air by taking a leisurely weekend drive anymore without worrying about dire consequences. Not only is there legislative and policy gridlock, but the frequent traffic gridlock getting in and out of the nation's capital makes it the most dangerous city in the country in which to drive.
Insurance giant Allstate released its seventh annual America's Safest Drivers Report, which ranks the 200 largest cities for car collision frequency. And Washington ranked dead last. It was the third year in a row for D.C.'s dubious honor, perhaps giving Republicans more campaign fodder to hit President Obama with--that he has encouraged more reckless driving around the capital.
The safest place to drive, far away from the din of the presidential campaign that is in full swing? Fort Collins, Colorado bested all other states for the second year in a row. The average driver there will have an auto collision every 14 years--a figure that makes an accident 28.6 percent less likely than the national average of an accident every 10 years.
Drivers around the Beltway this past weekend's Labor Day holiday, one the busiest driving weekends of the year, were 107.3-percent more likely to have an accident compared to the national average. Drivers there get into an accident once every 4.8 years. Nearby Baltimore, Maryland will land you 88.7 percent more likely to get in a wreck with an accident happening every 5.3 years.
Additional cities ranked near the the bottom included 182nd-ranked Los Angeles, California, where you're likely to get in an accident every 6.6 years, and 190th-ranked Newark, New Jersey where you'll find yourself in a collision every 5.9 years.
Amazingly in 171st-ranked New York city--with its legion of daredevil cab drivers and frequent two-lane tunnel driving--motorists are expected to get in an accident every 7.3 years, just 37.6 percent higher than the national average.
Nationally, auto crashes have declined over the last few years, but crash fatalities are still over 32,000 annually, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Bloomberg reports that 27.3 million people were to have driven to or from a getaway destination by car on Labor Day Weekend, up from 27.2 million last year. The number of Americans traveling 50 miles or more were expected to fall 2.4%.
Europe, like the U.S., has trouble with accident rates during the summer when families are traveling. Some of the causes of accidents might surprise you, such as poorly packed cars and unrestrained pets causing a driver to be distracted. Check this out.
Automobile travel will account for 87% of all travel this year, up from 84% last year. With airfares up, more people are driving places. But, since gas remains pricey, many families are choosing closer destinations. Insurance and traffic safety analysts believe that increased driving in concentrated areas is adding to traffic congestion, and therefore more accidents.
You may think drivers in your city are the most clueless, but how did your hometown really fare in the rankings? Click here for the whole list.
![Many Drivers Depart Unprepared on Summer Journeys]()
Insurance giant Allstate released its seventh annual America's Safest Drivers Report, which ranks the 200 largest cities for car collision frequency. And Washington ranked dead last. It was the third year in a row for D.C.'s dubious honor, perhaps giving Republicans more campaign fodder to hit President Obama with--that he has encouraged more reckless driving around the capital.
The safest place to drive, far away from the din of the presidential campaign that is in full swing? Fort Collins, Colorado bested all other states for the second year in a row. The average driver there will have an auto collision every 14 years--a figure that makes an accident 28.6 percent less likely than the national average of an accident every 10 years.
Drivers around the Beltway this past weekend's Labor Day holiday, one the busiest driving weekends of the year, were 107.3-percent more likely to have an accident compared to the national average. Drivers there get into an accident once every 4.8 years. Nearby Baltimore, Maryland will land you 88.7 percent more likely to get in a wreck with an accident happening every 5.3 years.
Additional cities ranked near the the bottom included 182nd-ranked Los Angeles, California, where you're likely to get in an accident every 6.6 years, and 190th-ranked Newark, New Jersey where you'll find yourself in a collision every 5.9 years.
Amazingly in 171st-ranked New York city--with its legion of daredevil cab drivers and frequent two-lane tunnel driving--motorists are expected to get in an accident every 7.3 years, just 37.6 percent higher than the national average.
Nationally, auto crashes have declined over the last few years, but crash fatalities are still over 32,000 annually, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Bloomberg reports that 27.3 million people were to have driven to or from a getaway destination by car on Labor Day Weekend, up from 27.2 million last year. The number of Americans traveling 50 miles or more were expected to fall 2.4%.
Europe, like the U.S., has trouble with accident rates during the summer when families are traveling. Some of the causes of accidents might surprise you, such as poorly packed cars and unrestrained pets causing a driver to be distracted. Check this out.
Automobile travel will account for 87% of all travel this year, up from 84% last year. With airfares up, more people are driving places. But, since gas remains pricey, many families are choosing closer destinations. Insurance and traffic safety analysts believe that increased driving in concentrated areas is adding to traffic congestion, and therefore more accidents.
You may think drivers in your city are the most clueless, but how did your hometown really fare in the rankings? Click here for the whole list.
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