Click here to see the Cities With the Most Accidents report for 2021.
Despite reductions in driving in the early stages of the pandemic, driving levels are back to normal across the country. This also means that the risk of getting into an accident is now higher.
Public transit use has declined significantly during the pandemic, but drivers have been on the roads in full force again since June. Many have also been behaving more recklessly on the road during the pandemic than before, resulting in a higher share of car accidents. As a result, the rate of fatal crashes has climbed between the first and second quarter of 2020, from 1.10 to 1.42 deaths per million vehicle miles traveled, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
In addition to the potentially fatal risks of being involved in a motor vehicle accident and any ensuing property damage, accident-prone drivers also face the possibility of a hike in car insurance costs or a suspended license. Each time a driver gets on the road, they risk being involved in a car crash, no matter how slim the chances seem. It follows that the more vehicle miles traveled, the more likely a driver is to be involved in an accident – and in 2020, that susceptibility is higher, due to the increase in dangerous behavior on the roads.
Certain cities seem to be home to a greater share of accident-prone drivers. To identify the cities with the most accidents, the data science team at Insurify referred to their database of over 2.5 million car insurance applications.
