6 Most Accident Prone Cities In The U.S.

All drivers are at risk of getting into an accident. However, did you know it is more likely to happen in some cities than in others? Big cities tend to have the most car accidents per year, even per capita. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that there are 32,000 automobile fatalities every year as a result. If you want to beat the odds, watch out for these six most accident-prone cities in the U.S.

Washington, D.C.

Statistics suggest that the safest drivers live in the Northeast. However, Washington, D.C. ranks as one of the most accident-prone cities. This is probably due to the large number of commuters that drive into the U.S capital every day. Several highways pour into Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway), where delays are common. Lots of accidents also occur on this interstate because of the high volume of merging traffic and lane switches. Forbes reports you are 97.3 percent more likely to get into an accident in Washington, D.C., than the national average.

San Francisco, CA

Another city that makes the list for most car accidents is San Francisco. There are more than one million residents in the Bay Area, and a good chunk commute into downtown San Francisco to go to work. This causes major traffic congestion throughout the Bay Area, especially during the morning and evening commutes. The traffic congestion also leads to car accidents, but most are minor and not at high speeds. Many people drive for more than an hour to get to their workplace, and more time on the road leads to a higher risk of accidents.

Austin, TX

Texas has recently seen a rise in the number of accidents that happen each year. Allstate Insurance Co. said that drivers in Austin are 24 percent more likely to get into an accident than in 200 of the largest cities in the U.S. Car accident fatalities are also a major problem in Austin because of high-speed collisions. The increase in traffic accidents is probably due to the fast-growing population. People are moving to Austin because of its booming economy and job market, leading to an increase in traffic. As Texas continues to lead in traffic fatalities at over 3,000 per year, the need for legal representation continues to increase as well. Click here for important steps to preventing fatal car accidents.

Alexandria, VA

Alexandria is one of the closest cities to the U.S. capital, and it is significantly cheaper to live there than in Washington, D.C. However, many of Alexandria’s estimated population of 150,000 commute on the Capital Beltway to get to work, which contributes to the high accident ratio. The Street reports that the average time between accidents in Alexandria is 6.4 years; the national average is 10 years. That means Alexandria residents are 55.9 percent more likely to get into an accident than the rest of the U.S.

Providence, RI

Allstate ranks Providence, Rhode Island as the fifth most accident-prone city in the U.S. The city has an estimated population of more than 170,000, and the average time between accidents is only six years. The high number of accidents is partially due to the complex highway and interstate system. Most major cities include a loop, but Providence’s traffic map is a little more jumbled. High traffic comes from nearby Cranston and Seekonk on Interstate 95 and Interstate 195.

Baltimore, MD

Residents of Baltimore are 88.7 percent more likely to get into an accident than the rest of the U.S., and the average time between accidents is only 5.3 years. The reason for this is the same as with Alexandria and Washington, D.C.: There’s a large commuter population. On top of that, Baltimore is one of the most populous and dense cities in the U.S. That means even the inner streets of Baltimore get more traffic than elsewhere in the U.S.

These are just a few of the most accident-prone cities in the U.S., but that doesn’t mean you can’t get into an accident if you don’t live elsewhere. You need to be careful whenever and wherever you’re driving. If you’re looking for the safest places to drive, Allstate reports that Fort Collins, Colorado; Boise, Idaho; Brownsville, Texas; and Kansas City, Kansas have the lowest accident rates per year.