While Washington may lead the United States as the capital of the free world, its motorists lead the nation as the worst drivers. Allstate Insurance Co., which examined claims data from January 2008 to December 2009, found that the average D.C. driver goes 4.8 years between accidents. That’s twice as frequent as the national average of 10 years between accidents and almost three times as frequent as America’s safest city for motorists, Fort Collins, Colo.
The results of the study shouldn’t surprise local drivers. Washington has ranked last among the hundreds of cities tested in the Allstate study three consecutive years. Drivers in the region are 107.3 percent more likely to get into an accident than the national average.
The reasons for the low ranking are plentiful, according to Debbie Pickford, spokeswoman for the Allstate Capital Region.
| Five safest cities |
| 1. Fort Collins, Colo. |
| 2. Boise, Idaho |
| 3. Lincoln, Neb. |
| 4. Chandler, Ariz. |
| 5. Huntsville, Ala. |
| Five least safe cities |
| 189. Providence, R.I. |
| 190. Newark, N.J. |
| 191. Glendale, Calif. |
| 192. Baltimore |
| 193. Washington |
Traffic breeds impatient drivers cutting in and out of lanes, and construction creates new roadblocks and traffic patterns every day that can confuse drivers, she said. Between gridlock on the Capital Beltway, Interstate 66 and other roads, the city’s infamous traffic circles, and constant construction projects on city streets and major highways, it’s a recipe for disaster.
“There’s a lot of distractions out there,” Pickford said. “People are sitting in traffic, in a hurry and driving to other places. A lot of people are also new to the area, and people are constantly trying to adjust and adapt to new roads and construction patterns.”
Steven White, who spends five days a week driving to downtown office buildings for Xerox, said he sees accidents caused by aggressive, reckless driving every day.
“Most the time people just have to be patient,” White said. “Be patient and you’ll be safe. And keep your eye on the cab drivers. They see a fare and they’ll make some crazy turns to get it.”
Those bad driving habits often have deadly results. In 2008, there were 34 fatalities on District
roads, including nine pedestrian deaths, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
While circumstances like traffic and weather can add to the trouble Washington’s motorists face each day on the road, the real danger is drivers themselves, according to Mike Roche, executive vice president of Allstate’s Claim Organization.
“People have no respect for traffic laws and red lights,” said Jean Gagliolo, a sales representative who spends his days weaving through traffic downtown. “You see people all the time who are distracted and not really paying attention.”
Both Gagliolo and White say they have never been in an accident in the District, and each credited their unwavering attention to the road for keeping their vehicles and themselves safe from harm.
“This is why we do the study. It’s not to chastise Washington drivers,” Pickford said. “It’s to raise awareness and say driving in this area requires a lot of caution and attention.”
Local jurisdictions do take extra care to campaign for less aggressive driving, which is all well and good, Pickford said.
But is it really working?
“If you look at our crash data over the last three years, no,” she said.
