Drivers in the city of Pittsburgh are 51.3 percent more likely to be involved in a car accident than the average American, according to an Allstate Insurance Company report released today.
Pittsburgh is 14th worst overall among 200 cities in the report, and is last among cities with 250,000 to 499,000 residents.
In other words, “if you live in Pittsburgh, you’re going to get in a car accident,” Allstate spokesperson Julia Reusch said.
“When you look at a city like Pittsburgh, there’s bridges, there’s tunnels. There are a lot of places where a lot of people are trying to get through the same spot,” Reusch said. “And any time you have congestion, you have a higher likelihood of having a car crash.”
Weather is also a factor. Cities with high levels of precipitation, like Pittsburgh, are more dangerous to drive in.
The report also found that Pittsburgh drivers are likely to experience a car collision once every 6.6 years on average.
But there are plenty of ways to practice safe driving.
“Give yourself time to reach your destination so you’re not rushing and weaving through traffic,” Reusch said. “Stay alert, and also know what’s happening where you’re going. Check the roads ahead of time. There’s so many options now to get traffic reports easily.”
The statistics in the 10th annual report were gathered from the company’s auto claims records. According to the records, 70 percent of vehicles are considered drivable, indicating that most claims are a result of low speed crashes.
The safest American city to drive in is Fort Collins, Co., where drivers will get in a crash every 14.2 years.
