Next time you’re driving around Milwaukee and feel the urge to drop a one-finger salute on the guy who changed lanes without signaling, remember this: He’s part of the 15th-safest driving city in America.
Unless he’s got Illinois plates — Chicago is ranked 152nd.
The ratings are courtesy of Allstate Insurance Company, which ranked the country’s 200 largest cities based on Allstate claims data for its eighth annual “America’s Best Drivers” report.
Milwaukee drivers have an accident once every 11.8 years, according to the data, which is 15.2 percent better than the national average of 10 years. The city was among the top 21 for the first five years of the report before falling to 42nd and then 38th the last two years.
We will be out on those roads slightly more this Labor Day weekend, according to AAA Wisconsin. The organization estimates 711,000 Wisconsinites will travel this weekend, an increase of 1.8 percent from last year. Auto travel accounts for almost 90 percent of that amount.
This year’s safest city according to Allstate's rankings? Sioux Falls, SD, which earned the honor for the fifth consecutive year. Northeastern cities fill the lower part of the rankings, with Washington, DC drivers averaging an accident every 4.7 years.
According to Allstate’s press release, a weighted average of the two-year numbers determined the annual percentages. The report defines an auto crash as any collision resulting in a property damage claim. Allstate's auto policies represent about 10 percent of all U.S. auto policies.
Texting and driving happens everywhere
Avg rate United States 11.0 Wis 9.9 IL 7.1 See Chart Below I think a major reason IL has lower rate is that they restrict trucks out of the left lane on freeways and tollways --- there are a lot of accidents in WI involving trucks in the left lane --- even weaving in and out --- and of course cars passing the trucks on the right. They go a lot faster in IL --- but it is pretty similar to the Auobahn, parts of which have no speed limit, but the left lane is for the fast traffic! STATE DEATHS RATE PER 100,000 POP Wyo. 134 24.6 Miss. 700 23.7 Mont. 221 22.7 N.D. 140 21.6 Ark. 585 20.3 Okla. 738 20.0 S.C. 894 19.6 W.Va. 356 19.6 Ky. 791 18.3 La. 821 18.3 Ala. 848 18.0 N.M. 361 18.0 S.D. 131 16.1 Tenn. 989 15.7 Mo. 878 14.7 Idaho 226 14.6 N.C. 1,314 14.0 Fla. 2,558 13.8 Kan. 386 13.7 Del. 116 13.1 Ga. 1,284 13.1 Neb. 223 12.4 Texas 3,071 12.4 Iowa 372 12.4 Ariz. 807 12.2 Maine 159 12.1 Vt. 74 11.9 USA 33,808 11.0 Ind. 693 10.8 Pa. 1,256 10.0 Wis. 561 9.9 Ore. 377 9.8 Md. 547 9.6 Va. 757 9.6 Colo. 465 9.3 Nev. 243 9.2 Alaska 64 9.2 Ohio 1,021 8.8 Utah 244 8.8 Mich. 871 8.7 Hawaii 109 8.4 Calif. 3,081 8.3 N.H. 110 8.3 Minn. 421 8.0 R.I. 83 7.9 Wash. 492 7.4 Ill. 911 7.1 N.J. 583 6.7 Conn. 223 6.3 N.Y. 1,156 5.9 Mass. 334 5.1 D.C. 29 4.8 Source: By Larry Copeland, USA TODAY
In urban areas, there are more accidents but fewer fatalities --- hi ways are usually divided expressways, so usually going in same direction if they do hit, and city streets are very conducive to accidents, but with lower speeds, not the same carnage as a T Bone or Head On in the country on a two lane road.
In the Milwaukee area especially, every morning and evening in heavy traffic you see the semis barrelling down the left lane, or if not speeding, impeding traffic and hindering sight lines. I have often seen the State Troopers in other counties with trucks pulled over --- but can't remember the last time I saw a Milw County Sheriff pull over a truck. I think that is because the Troopers have training in trucking safety requirements, logbooks, authorities, permits, etc ........ while the Sheriff patrol does not, and they are hesitant to get caught up in handling vehicles and requirements they are not familiar with, or been taught how to deal with.