Worst American Drivers Involved in Accident Every Four Years

A fresh analysis of driving patterns in the United States has found that motorists are involved in a collision roughly once every 11 years, although the level of risk varies sharply depending on where they live and drive.

Allstate’s 2026 America’s Best Drivers Report says the average US driver is in a crash every 10.86 years. Yet the difference between the top and bottom-ranked cities is substantial. In Brownsville, Texas, drivers typically go almost 15 years between collisions, while in Boston, Massachusetts, the average interval is just 3.76 years.

Brownsville was ranked as America’s safest driving city for the second year in a row, with an average of 14.99 years between crashes. Boston again placed last, with drivers there said to be 189% more likely than the national average to be involved in a collision.

The report points to a broader regional pattern. Texas had several cities near the top of the safety rankings, including Brownsville, Laredo and McAllen. Massachusetts performed poorly, with Boston, Worcester and Springfield all appearing among the highest-risk cities.

Allstate compiled the rankings using auto insurance claims from the 200 largest cities in the US. It also drew on data from Drivewise, the company’s app-based telematics programme, which monitors behaviours such as speeding, sudden braking and mobile phone use while driving.

Laura Hoffman, Allstate’s vice-president of auto design and telematics, said the results underline that crash risk is shaped by more than geography.

“Where you drive plays a role in your risk, but how and when you drive matters just as much,” Hoffman said. She said combining claims information with driving behaviour data could help motorists make safer choices and potentially reduce insurance costs.

The safest cities in the report were led by Brownsville, followed closely by Fort Collins in Colorado and Boise in Idaho. Laredo in Texas ranked fourth, ahead of Cary in North Carolina, Madison in Wisconsin, McAllen in Texas, Colorado Springs in Colorado, Eugene in Oregon and Olathe in Kansas.

At the other end of the list, Boston was followed by Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Worcester, Springfield, Glendale in California, Providence in Rhode Island, Sunrise Manor in Nevada, Los Angeles and Philadelphia.

The report also identified cities that made notable year-on-year gains. Waco in Texas recorded the biggest improvement, rising 40 places. Savannah in Georgia climbed 30 places, while New Orleans and Kansas City in Kansas each advanced 29 positions.

Detroit saw the sharpest decline, dropping 38 places. Rockford in Illinois fell 34 places, with Arlington in Virginia, Tampa in Florida and Anchorage in Alaska also moving significantly lower in the rankings.

Allstate said annual changes can reflect shifts in traffic volumes, road conditions, driving habits and other local factors.

Georgia was highlighted as the most improved state overall, with Savannah, Macon and Columbus each moving up by at least 20 places. Several Midwestern cities, including Omaha, Milwaukee, Chicago and Indianapolis, fell in the standings.

Drivewise data offered further insight into behaviours linked with higher risk. Night-time driving was particularly common in Washington, D.C., Las Vegas and New York City, where lower visibility, fatigue and impaired driving can increase danger.

Mobile phone use behind the wheel appeared more frequently in crowded urban centres, including Miami, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Boston. Speeding was most common in Bridgeport in Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Chicago, and the Alabama cities of Mobile, Birmingham and Huntsville.

Hard braking was especially prevalent in parts of North Carolina and Arizona. Raleigh, Fayetteville and Durham, as well as Chandler, Glendale, Tempe, Mesa and Gilbert, recorded some of the highest rates.