According to the National Safety Council, we’re coming up upon the deadliest period of the year in which to take to the roads. The NSC predicts that 346 people will be killed and 41,900 seriously injured over the New Year’s Day holiday period. That outpaces even the Christmas weekend as being the most hazardous for driving, and caps off a year that’s already seen a disturbing increase in traffic fatalities.
“Too many celebrations are marred by tragedies during the holiday season,” says NSC president and CEO Deborah A.P. Hersman. “When you are traveling, remember that you are your car’s most important safety feature. Getting to zero deaths on our roadways requires each of us to be safer behind the wheel.”
What’s more, according to the annual “Best Drivers” study by Allstate Insurance, you’ll want to take extra precaution if you’ll be passing through beautiful Boston. That’s because Beantown was named the worst city in the U.S. in which to drive in the rain or snow, with drivers there getting into an accident 157.7% more frequently than the national average. Other cities to avoid – or at least in which to take to the wheel of a big old 4X4 when the weather turns foul – include: Worcester, MA; Baltimore, MD; Washington, DC; and Springfield, MA.
By contrast, Allstate says the safest city in which to drive under inclement conditions is Kansas City, KS, where motorists are 24.8% less likely to be involved in a collision. Other safe havens for motorists when the roads turn wet or snowy include: Cape Coral, FL: Brownsville, TX: Boise, ID; and Madison, WI.
Allstate’s Best Driver’s Report is based on claims data and ranks America’s 200 largest cities in terms of collision frequency to identify which have the safest drivers, including how these cities rank when precipitation, whether ice, rain or snow, is a factor.
The full list of 200 best and worst cities in which to drive during bad weather, as ranked by Allstate, can be found here. Otherwise, here’s a quick look at the 10 safest and most dangerous areas, including their average annual precipitation as noted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and drivers’ statistical likelihood to get into crashes in each burg, versus the national average:
Best Cities To Drive In Bad Weather
1. Kansas City, KS, 39.1 inches precipitation, 24.8% less likely to crash.
2. Cape Coral, FL, 55.9 inches precipitation, 21.0% less likely to crash.
3. Brownsville, TX, 27.4 inches precipitation, 24.6% less likely to crash.
4. Boise, ID, 11.7 inches precipitation, 23.5% less likely to crash.
5. Madison, WI, 37.3 inches precipitation, 18.2% less likely to crash.
6. Huntsville, AL, 54.3 inches precipitation, 14.7% less likely to crash.
7.Fort Collins, CO, 15.0 inches precipitation, 21.% less likely to crash.
8. Port Saint Lucie, FL, 63.7 inches precipitation, 11.8% less likely to crash.
9. Cary, NC, 47.4 inches precipitation, 13.8% less likely to crash.
10. Montgomery, AL, 52.8 inches precipitation, 12.4% less likely to crash.
Read more of the original article in Forbes.
