Wet Winter Forecast Ahead for Southern States: Know How Your City Drivers Stack Up In Rain and Snow

NORTHBROOK, Ill., Nov. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts this winter (2014-2015) will have higher than average precipitation in the Southern United States.^[i] Allstate Insurance Company reminds customers and consumers to know how cities' drivers perform when wetter conditions are factored into their America's Best Drivers Report® ranking, and recommends preparing for the winter roads ahead.

"The Report is a safety awareness tool that shows how city drivers fare when you consider how often the average driver will get into a collision," said Mike Roche, executive vice president of claims, Allstate. "Factors such as precipitation may impact a city's collision frequency ranking. Allstate is providing important lessons on the road this winter, and especially for cities that don't commonly experience these weather patterns."             

Allstate America's Best Drivers Report® is based on Allstate claims data and ranks America's 200 largest cities^[ii] in terms of car collision frequency to identify which have the safest drivers. The report underscores Allstate's commitment to keeping roadways safer for customers and other drivers. The data uncovers how these cities rank when precipitation is a factor. These rankings are based on the expected driver performance given each city's average annual precipitation as measured by NOAA.

According to the Report, drivers in Brownsville, Texas are the safest when precipitation is factored into its collision frequency ranking. The average driver in Brownsville will experience a collision every 14.2 years which is nearly 30 percent less than the national average. While other cities may have lower collision frequencies, the average Brownsville driver performs well given its levels of precipitation in addition to its collision likelihood.^[iii]

Top 10 safest driving cities with precipitation as a factor include:

Allstate recommends drivers use caution especially when driving under rainy and snowy winter conditions:

• Be aware of road conditions. Ice, snow, fog, rain - all of these weather conditions require extra caution and slower speeds. Stopping safely in rain and snow takes greater lengths of roadway than in dry conditions.
• Maintain your vehicle to prepare for extreme weather. Headlights and brake lights are critical in low visibility situations – be sure they are consistently maintained along with other critical car functions such as heating, defrosters, brakes, fluid levels and windshield wipers.
• Keep a safety kit in your vehicle. In case of an emergency, ensure your car is equipped with gloves, boots, blankets, flares, water, jumper cables and a flashlight.

The Report
Allstate's interactive mapping tool demonstrates how location factors like precipitation weight a city's driving safety ranking. When taking challenging roadway conditions into consideration, some cities' safest drivers ranking changed based on the likelihood for collision and this location factor.

To view the complete Allstate America's Best Drivers Report with an interactive mapping of the rankings, or to see previous years' results, visit www.allstate.com/bestdriversreport.  

About Allstate
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer, protecting approximately 16 million households from life's uncertainties through its Allstate, Encompass, Esurance and Answer Financial brand names and Allstate Financial business segment. Allstate is widely known through the slogan "You're In Good Hands With Allstate^®." The Allstate brand's network of small businesses offers auto, home, life and retirement products and services to customers in the United States and Canada. In 2013, The Allstate Foundation, Allstate, its employees and agency owners gave $29 million to support local communities. Allstate employees and agency owners donated 200,000 hours of service across the country.

^[i] NOAA Winter Predictions: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2014/20141016_winteroutlook.html
^[ii] The Allstate America's Best Drivers Report® tabulates property damage collision frequency of Allstate insured drivers from 2011-2012.The report analyzes the 200 largest cities from the U.S. Census Bureau's Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places over 50,000, measured for 2012 as of July 1, 2013. The Allstate Best Drivers Report is produced solely to boost the country's discussion about safe driving and to increase awareness of the importance of being safe and attentive behind the wheel. The report is not used to determine auto insurance rates.
^[iii] For the precipitation factor, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) precipitation data from a geolocation measured closest to each city center over a 30-year period was used to determine the location factor ranking. http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/1981-2010/

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SOURCE Allstate

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