Jacksonville, Florida Improves Its Position in Best Drivers Rankings
Jacksonville ranks 73rd in the nation in terms of the best drivers according to a recent report issued by Allstate Insurance Company. The report discusses the frequency of car accidents in cities across the country and ranks them accordingly. Jacksonville's ranking improved 17 spots from the prior year's accident and safe driving report. According to the report, a driver in Jacksonville will be involved in a motor vehicle accident every 9.6 years which is 4% worse than the average. Jacksonville received a better safe driving ranking than other major cities in Florida such as Tampa, Orlando and Miami. Although, when cities have populations greater than one million people, which the greater Jacksonville, Florida area does at this point, the rankings tend to decline on a percentage basis.
The Allstate report indicated that auto accidents resulting in deaths have declined over the last few years, but there are still approximately 40,000 fatal auto crashes in the U.S. each year.
There are several factors that would seem to affect the number of fatal and serious injury crashes in U.S. cities each year. Technology is a positive and negative influence. Vehicles are safer and better able to absorb an impact in a crash. Multiple air bags, seat belts and safer designs decrease the likelihood that a vehicle occupant will die or be seriously injured in many types of crashes. On the other hand, the proliferation of cell phones and text messaging devices, which are often used by drivers, create a serious hazard on the roads that was not present several years ago.
