It may not be news to anyone trapped on Interstate 35, or suffering a meltdown on MoPac, but a new study confirms the obvious: Austin drivers are far less safe than the nationwide average, according to a study from insurance company Allstate.
Austin ranks among the bottom quarter of U.S. cities in Allstate’s “Americas Best Drivers” report – 155th out of 200 largest cities. The city actually fell six places from its ranking last year (149th), meaning Austin drivers have gotten less safe by Allstate's standards.
The report ranks cities on their drivers’ average number of years between accidents. In Austin, that’s 7.8 years, or 27.5 percent more likely than the national average. By comparison, Denver and Lakewood, Colorado hold the top ranking for a city in Austin’s range (population 750,000 to 1 million), going 10 years between collisions. Fort Collins, Colorado took top honors nationwide for the third time in nine years – going nearly 14 years between collisions.
Other major Texas cities’ rankings:
- El Paso: 76th, with an average of 9.7 years between accidents
- San Antonio: 141st, averaging 8.2 years between accidents
- Houston: 151st, going 8 years between accidents
- Dallas: 170th, going 7.4 years between accidents
