My morning commute was the feather in the cap for Allstate Insurance and their annual survey of worst drivers in the United States. I attempted to get on the Northeast Extension this morning at 6:30. KYW informed me there was an accident 5 miles south of me and both lanes were blocked. I made a U-turn at the toll booth and took back roads to Plymouth Meeting to get on the Blue Route. I then got on the Schuylkill, only to find that a car had crashed and gone up an embankment at Montgomery Avenue. When I finally got into the city (and needing to piss like a racehorse) pedestrians kept crossing against the light in front of my car. It was like God was purposely pushing my buttons. When I finally made it to my building, both mens rooms were closed for cleaning. I knew it was going to be one of those days.
As I sat in traffic for 1 hour and 25 minutes trying to get to work, the local radio show discussed Allstate’s report saying that Philadelphia drivers are the worst in the country. I have no evidence to contest that conclusion. Philadelphia drivers are assholes and dickheads. We evidently get into an accident every 6 years on average. I guess I’m really overdue. I’ve been driving for 35 years in Philly with no accidents yet. Many close calls. Much obscenity hurled at assholes endangering my life. And years knocked off my life expectancy due to stress. But no accidents.
I believe they hand out a special driver’s handbook to Philly drivers when they turn 16. I find assholes driving the most expensive cars tend to be the worst, most aggressive drivers. The Phillies are in last place. The 76ers are the worst team in basketball. The Flyers haven’t won a Stanley Cup in 40 years. The Eagles haven’t won a championship in 55 years. So we’ll take a first place finish any way we can get it.
Philadelphia Residents Among Worst Drivers in Nation: Allstate Report
Philadelphia drivers have been ranked as the worst among big cities with at least 1 million residents, according to an annual report from the Allstate Insurance Company.
The eighth annual “Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report” is based on Allstate’s claims data. The report ranked America’s 200 largest cities in terms of car collision frequency to identify which cities have the safest drivers and least accidents.
Among the 200 cities in the report, the City of Brotherly Love was ranked 190th overall. The city’s drivers are 64.1 percent more likely to get into a collision compared to the national average. A driver in Philadelphia, on average, will experience an auto collision every 6.1 years.
Other major cities in the Northeast also fared poorly in the Allstate report. New York City was ranked 176th. The drivers in the Big Apple are 41.1 percent more likely to get into a collision compared to the U.S. average. A typical New York City driver could expect an auto collision every 7.1 years on average.
Northeastern cities that ranked even lower than Philadelphia in the Allstate report include Providence, R.I., (193th) Baltimore, Md., (194th) and Washington, D.C. (195th)
The full list of cities and their rankings can be found on Allstate’s website. Allstate analyzed internal property damage reported claims over a two-year period, from January 2009 to December 2010. Massachusetts cities are not included because Allstate did not write business in the state in those years.
The good drivers live here:
| City & Overall Ranking | Collision Likelihood Compared to National Average |
Average Years Between Collisions |
| 1. Sioux Falls, S.D. | 27.6% less likely | 13.8 |
| 2. Boise, Idaho | 27.3% less likely | 13.8 |
| 3. Fort Collins, Colo. | 26.7% less likely | 13.6 |
| 4. Madison, Wisc. | 23.0% less likely | 13.0 |
| 5. Lincoln, Neb. | 19.3% less likely | 12.4 |
| 6. Huntsville, Ala. | 19.1% less likely | 12.4 |
| 7. Chandler, Ariz. | 18.9% less likely | 12.3 |
| 8. Reno, Nev. | 18.4% less likely | 12.3 |
| 9. Knoxville, Tenn. | 18.1% less likely | 12.2 |
| 10. Springfield, Mo. | 17.4% less likely | 12.1 |
