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With El Nino Winter Predicted, Allstate Cites 200 Safest Cities
USAgNet - 11/20/2018

Four of the country's top 10 safest cities for driving in wet weather are in Texas, according to the 2018 Allstate America's Best Drivers Report. With large swaths of the Southern United States in store for a wetter-than-average winter, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationii, those rankings could be put to the test during the holiday travel season and beyond.

This second installment of the 2018 America's Best Drivers Report, announced today, ranks the country's largest 200 cities to determine which have the safest drivers when precipitation is part of the equation. This year's top spot goes to Brownsville, Texas, reclaiming the honor from two years ago after dropping to second last year.

"You may be surprised to know that even in warmer climates, winter weather can create dangerous driving conditions, making it more important than ever to be vigilant behind the wheel and aware of how rain and snow can impact roads," said Ken Rosen, Allstate's chief claims officer. "Allstate releases the America's Best Drivers Report each year to draw attention to the critical community issue of safe driving. By celebrating the safest driving cities and lending a hand in bottom-ranked cities, we want to help Americans protect themselves before they get on the roads this holiday season -- and ultimately help save lives."

These precipitation rankings are an extension of the standard America's Best Drivers Report, released in August. To determine the precipitation factor, Allstate researchers use a predictive model that standardizes the rankings to account for the fact that weather conditions vary dramatically across the United States and affect roadway safety. Allstate is recognizing the top-performing cities in rain or snow and offering tips to help people across the country drive safely.

The top 10 safest-driving cities when precipitation is factored with collision frequency (along with the NOAA 30-year average precipitation listed):

1. Brownsville, Texas -- 27.4 inches

2. Kansas City, Kan. -- 39.1

3. Huntsville, Ala. -- 54.3

4. Boise, Idaho -- 11.7

5. Madison, Wis. -- 34.5

6. Cape Coral, Fla. -- 57.1

7. Laredo, Texas -- 20.2

8. Midland, Texas -- 14.8

9. Fort Collins, Colo. -- 16.1

10. McAllen, Texas -- 19.5

NOAA predicts a 70 to 75 percent chance of El Nino developing -- making for a wet winter along the southern tip of the U.S. and into the Mid-Atlantic region. Warmer, drier conditions are anticipated for much of the northern and western parts of the country.

The biggest improvements and declines when precipitation is factored with collision frequency:

- Hollywood, Fla., +17 spots to 93rd, 64.3 inches annually

- Pembroke Pines, Fla., +15 spots to 86th, 67.1

- Miramar, Fla., +14 spots to 75th, 67.1

- Hialeah, Fla., +12 spots to 126th, 70.4

- Pasadena, Texas, +10 spots to 81st, 54.4

Biggest declines were:

- Las Vegas, Nev., -13 spots to 135th, 5.1 inches annually

Riverside, Calif., -11 spots to 136th, 12.4

Palmdale, Calif., -11 spots to 110th, 7.4

Orange, Calif., -10 spots to 133rd, 13.4

Henderson, Nev., -10 spots to 67th, 5.1

"NOAA's annual winter weather outlook helps Americans to prepare for the possible dangers of the season and take precautions with their families and homes," said Mike Halpert, deputy director of NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. "A weak El Nino is anticipated to develop, and it may impact the winter season by bringing wetter conditions across parts of the southern United States, and warmer, drier conditions in parts of the North."

It's even more important to give yourself enough time to stop when roads are wet. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, braking distance on wet roads increases 27 percent versus stopping on dry roads when traveling at 55 mphiv -- and that number increases when rain turns to snow or ice. Drivers can prepare for winter weather conditions by monitoring their driving with innovative telematics programs like Allstate's Drivewise, which Allstate uses to study the correlation between collisions and hard-braking events. Hard-braking events are defined as slowing down by 8 mph or more per second and can indicate unsafe driving behaviors, such as following too closely, or aggressive or distracted driving.


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