South Florida Drivers Worst? Insurer Says Not Quite
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A major insurance company has included some South Florida cities in it's national report on America's Best Drivers, but before you shake your head in disbelief, be assured it's not a good thing, and you might consider not driving in Hialeah if you like your car.
Allstate Insurance does an annual report on how cities nationwide rank when it comes to accidents, and that helps them create a national average. Cities are ranked as to where they stand above or below that average, and while Port St. Lucie and Cape Coral drivers were less likely than the national average to be involved in an accident, South Florida drivers fared far, far worse.
Of the four South Florida cities included in the rankings, Hialeah ranked the worst. Out of 193 cities ranked in the report, Hialeah came in at 183, just 10 from the bottom. According to Allstate's figures, Hialeah drivers were just over 52% more likely than the national average to have an accident.
Close behind was Miami, ranked at 178, with drivers 43% more likely to meet another driver in a smashup.
Before Broward drivers wag their fingers at Miami's lousy drivers, they need to consider that bad driving apparently does not respect county lines.
Hollywood ranked 154, with drivers beating the national accident average by 28%. Ft. Lauderdale did slightly better, with it's 19% ranking winning it a spot at 132.
But as bad as drivers are in South Florida, they are not the worst in the nation when it comes to Allstate's rankings. That distinction is reserved for a city most Americans already have problems with, Washington, DC. While it's unlikely our elected representatives can be blamed this, since few likely drive themselves, the bureaucrats who make the city run apparently could use a driving lesson or 2.
According to Allstate, Washington ranks dead last at 193. Drivers there are 107% more likely than the national average to have an accident, and to clinch last place, drivers were found to go just 5 years between accidents.
Compare that to Fort Collins, Colorado, the city ranked #1, where drivers go 14 years between accidents, on the average.
Allstate has done these rankings for the last 7 years, basing it's figures on policy claims for its customers.
