Memphis 58th in nation for best drivers? | News

Allstate ranks Memphis 58th in the nation for the safest drivers, despite the state of Tennessee nearly leading the country in uninsured drivers.

The insurance company ranks the country's 200 largest cities in its annual Allstate America's Best Drivers Report. The report ranks cities in terms of car collision frequency.

The Bluff City's insured drivers average ten years between accidents, based on Allstate's internal property damage claims. Memphis actually dropped in the rankings since Allstate's 2010 report, which ranked the city's insured drivers as the 48th safest.

"Insured" is the active word here.

According to the Insurance Research Council, Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas are among the top ten states with the largest percentage of uninsured drivers. Based on 2009 data, an estimated 24 percent of Tennessee drivers are uninsured, despite a state law that requires drivers carry minimum liability coverage of $25,000/$50,000 for bodily injury and $15,000 for property damage.

28 percent of Mississippi motorists are uninsured, according to the council's data, despite similar minimum liability requirements to Tennessee and despite a $1,000 fine and license suspension for driving without insurance.

16 percent of the people behind the wheel in Arkansas have no insurance, despite minimum liability coverage requirements and mandatory proof of insurance.

Those populations are not included in Allstate's report.

"Allstate's Best Driver's Report was created to boost the country's discussion on safe driving," said Mike Roche, executive vice president of Allstate's Claim Organization.

"Human behavior is the biggest cause of accidents. It is vital for us to educate American drivers about safe driving behaviors they can demonstrate on the road that will help make our roadways safer," Roche said.

Chattanooga (10th) and Knoxville (6th) made Allstate's top 10. Nashville ranked 30th.  Little Rock:  119. Jackson, MS:  90.

Fort Collins, CO, earned Allstate's top ranking for the second consecutive year.

To view the entire report alphabetically by city, please click here (PDF).

Photo courtesy Flickr user eduard_orbitron.