Report: Las Vegas drivers rank among nation’s worst

Justin M. Bowen

The result of a T-bone collision is shown during a crash simulation last month by the North Las Vegas Police Department. A new report ranks Las Vegas drivers among the worst in the nation, with the average driver having a collision every 7.8 years.

By Kyle Hansen (contact)

Thursday, July 9, 2009 | 1:59 a.m.

The top 10 safest cities according to Allstate's America’s Best Drivers Report

1. Sioux Falls, S.D.
2. Fort Collins, Colo.
3. Chattanooga, Tenn.
4. Cedar Rapids, Iowa
5. Knoxville, Tenn.
6. Fort Wayne, Ind.
7. Lexington-Fayette, Ky.
8. Eugene, Ore.
9. Boise, Idaho
10. Colorado Springs, Colo.

More transportation stories

If you’ve ever thought Las Vegas drivers are worse than their counterparts in many other parts of the country, you were right.

Las Vegas came in at No. 153 out of 200 cities on Allstate’s annual America’s Best Drivers Report.

The insurance company analyzed claims in the 200 largest cities in the nation and found that Las Vegas drivers are 28.7 percent more likely to have a collision than the average driver nationwide.

The average driver in Las Vegas has a collision every 7.8 years, the report says.

Elsewhere in the state, Reno placed at the top of the list, No. 11, with drivers 14 percent less likely to have a collision. Drivers there average an accident every 11.6 years.

Henderson and North Las Vegas also came in far behind Reno.

Henderson, where collisions average one every 8.8 years, came in at No. 109 with drivers 13.3 percent more likely to have a collision than the national average. In North Las Vegas, drivers are 23.5 more likely to have a collision. Drivers there average 8.1 years between collisions.

Drivers in other western cities with similar population sizes as Las Vegas are less likely to have a collision than drivers here, with Tucson, El Paso, Texas, and Denver all ranked in the top 50.

“We don’t want drivers in Las Vegas to be discouraged by their ranking,” said Denis Bailey, field vice president of Allstate’s Southwest Region in a press release. “Instead, we want the report to challenge drivers in Las Vegas to make positive changes to their driving habits that will in turn make the city a safer place to live, work and raise families.”

The safest cities in this years report were Sioux Falls, S.D., Fort Collins, Colo., and Chattanooga, Tenn.

At the bottom of the list were Glendale, Calif., Baltimore, and Washington, D.C.

This is the fifth year Allstate has analyzed company claim data to create the report. The company defined an auto crash as any collision resulting in a property damage claim.

The report is based only on data from the company’s customers. Allstate said its auto policies represent about 11.3 percent of all U.S. auto policies.

The report didn’t speculate on why some cities have more collisions than others, but the company does recommend that drivers stay safe by minimizing distractions, being aware of road conditions, leaving a safe distance between cars, watching for road rage and properly maintaining vehicles.

Discussion: 19 comments so far…

By adviceischeap

7/9/09 at 6:18 a.m.

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Hey, give us a break! Have you ever tried texting and drinking a beer while driving? It's not that easy.
By hahaha

7/9/09 at 6:53 a.m.

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The left lane is a FAST lane. I just thought Las Vegans should know that. GTFO
By KillerB

7/9/09 at 7:07 a.m.

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Once every "7.8 years"? That's a surprise -- I've driven most of this country and never seen so many red light runners.
By Fred_Flintstone

7/9/09 at 8:08 a.m.

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Tell me something I don't already know. This is supposed to be "news".
By VegasVegas

7/9/09 at 9:10 a.m.

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This is partially due to the lack of traffic enforcement on our roadways. Considering that usually when I see a squad car, it's either running lights or speeding too. The only time I see much traffic enforcement is when those few highway patrol folks are hiding out on I-215. I-15 rarely gets any looks and I'm not sure about 95.
By That_Anonymous_Guy

7/9/09 at 9:54 a.m.

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And in other breaking news, researchers today announced that the sky is blue. More at 11.
By BCDave

7/9/09 at 11:07 a.m.

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Too many illegals who think they're still driving in Mexico where you take the beer with you from the bar. Cause an accident, flee back to the mother land.
By jtrudeau

7/9/09 at 12:17 p.m.

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I would place a lot of blame on the pedestrians, especially if your driving in the strip area. The damn aholes keep stepping of curbs against redlights. I get so fed up with them I take the cab driver method and lay on the horn and push my car through them.
By Fancy_Pants

7/9/09 at 3 p.m.

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I see these horrible drivers every day. Careless, rude people who don't use signals and make dangerous, erratic lane changes and ride on your ass when you're already driving 5 miles over the speed limit. Sadly, I enjoy seeing cops on the road because people will then at least drive normally!
By late49er

7/9/09 at 3:45 p.m.

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Must be Ensign in the backseat with a woman and Gibbons in the front with who knows what.

Can`t concentrate on the roads with all that going on.
By logic_should_rule

7/9/09 at 11:06 p.m.

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In what may be the nations longest wait times at red lights, drivers get frustrated. This helps to create the red light runners who cause many accidents.
By limomominlv

7/10/09 at 12:17 p.m.

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As a professional driver here in Las Vegas...I see it all. And it ain't pretty. In most states the pedestrian has the right of way...NOT in Nevada. People..please don't step off the curb against the light and think I can stop, just because you are a pedestrian. When the hand is red...DON'T WALK! If you actually knew how many people are killed while jaywalking in Las Vegas..you'll stay the hell on the curb. The hotels on the strip should post something that tells guests that they won't win if they cross against the lights. DUH!
By stevem

7/10/09 at 1:56 p.m.

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you are freaking right limomom.

i have to drive up north las vegas blvd. about 4 times a week all the way from downtown to the speedway on my route and it's like a "dodging homeless" game.

they walk right out in front of me.

and i do agree some of the lights at major streets are just too long. turning left onto jones from sahara at 5:30 is just a nightmare. you wait and wait and wait, yet it seems nobody is coming east on sahara.
By Babyboomer

7/10/09 at 2:47 p.m.

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Not exactly a fair report considering these are all ALLSTATES figures and only Allstate. Allstate is only 11.3% of the national auto policy holders. So don't hold your breathe Las Vegas....look at the NATIONAL numbers to see were Nevada stands.
By Narcissa

7/10/09 at 3:44 p.m.

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And in other news, water is wet. Well, what can you expect, with 250,000 impoverished illiterates driving around with their clown music blaring out the window? (And then they wonder why law-abiding American taxpayers complain about them..) I'm sure the influx of those people has had a not insignificant impact on these statistics.

I would also encourage you to watch the brain dead pedestrians on Sahara and Las Vegas Boulevard. Like cattle, they could not care less about their walking south on the Boulevard, well past the expiration of their walk light. They just mosey on down, with their fanny packs, snarling west bound traffic and those trying to turn right on Sahara. Same thing in front of the Wynn. Just try to get home from Neiman Marcus at the Fashion Show by turning south on the strip in front of the Wynn!!

It's all about them. But, of course, they'll be the first to sue for their (mostly) phony injuries if they ever get hit by a car while jaywalking or crossing against the light.
By revtomperl

7/10/09 at 8:15 p.m.

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I have seen drivers challenge emergency vehicles with their lights flashing and sirens blaring. Las Vegas is the home of the rude and the crude. After driving a while here you go someplace else and the assumption is that pedestrians have the right to live and you have to drive below 60 on local streets - a shock to the system. Actually our insurance rate here is much higher than it is in other places. Dreadful - don't even try to excuse this crap. Everyone needs to work at driving with courtesy and consider developing greater skill.
By rumrunner

7/11/09 at 12:14 a.m.

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We payed to have a report done on something that,all you have to do is watch one corner for an hour?That go s for all the drivers in that hour as well.Who ever proposed this idea of a report needs a bonus.So he/she can pay to get his/her head pulled out of his/her rearend! (have to be politicaly correct now days!)
By skerlahdee

7/11/09 at 1:45 a.m.

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Allstate did the report as part of their risk analysis. It's what insurance companies do.

Driving in Vegas is pretty bad IMO. It's a curious mix of driving styles, but I think it's mainly California style. Clueless and inconsiderate.
By pinguinxxx

8/4/09 at 9:49 a.m.

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Hey, I drive the speed limit or a little over, I feel like a "hypermiler" out there!