Report: Boston’s car accident rate among worst in country
Like motorists in many large cities, Boston drivers have developed a reputation for being accident-prone and even reckless. Sadly, a recent report of car accident data has confirmed what many local motorists already believe about their fellow drivers. Allstate Insurance’s annual Best Drivers Report established Boston as one of the U.S. cities with the highest car accident rates and, arguably, the most dangerous drivers.
Elevated accident risk
This year’s report was based on claim and collision data that Allstate collected from January 2011 to December 2012, according to the Boston Globe. The results were adjusted for variables that might have influenced accident rates, including population, city density and weather. More than 200 cities were included in the final report.
The report is based exclusively on claims data from Allstate policyholders, so it is not a perfectly accurate representation of the relative risk of driving in every city. Still, with Allstate being one of the country’s larger auto insurance providers, there is likely some truth in the study results. The following findings have troubling implications for drivers in Boston and surrounding areas:
- Three of the four cities with the highest accident rates – Worcester, Boston, Washington, D.C. and Springfield – were located in Massachusetts, according to Forbes.
- Boston had the second-highest accident rate of all U.S. cities and the highest accident rate of any U.S. city with a population greater than 1 million, according to Reuters.
- Boston drivers are involved in auto accidents once every 4.4 years, which makes them 129.9 percent more likely to experience accidents than average drivers, according to Forbes.
The report notes that, aside from sheer population density, there are several factors that make drivers in urban areas more likely to experience accidents. Drivers must be more alert to risks such as pedestrians and parking cars. Drivers must also watch for and avoid various commercial or public transportation vehicles, including delivery vans, buses and taxis.
Together, these factors can greatly raise the risk of accidents for conscientious drivers, not to mention drivers who make careless decisions while behind the wheel.
Help after wrongful accidents
Though motor vehicle accidents occasionally occur under circumstances that would have been difficult or impossible to prevent, many accidents are due to failures on the part of one person. The fact that auto accidents occur at such a high rate in Boston suggests that driver behaviors and other issues, rather than pure chance, contribute significantly to accidents.
People who are injured in car accidents that other drivers caused have the right to seek compensation for their injuries. Anyone who has been hurt in a needless accident should consider speaking to an attorney about pursuing compensation.
