How safe are Santa Rosa roads? New study has answers

Drivers get into traffic accidents in Santa Rosa more frequently than in other parts of the United States, but local roads are still among the safest in California, according to an annual report released Tuesday by Allstate Insurance.

The typical driver insured by Allstate is involved in an accident once every 10 years, based on an analysis of property damage claims across the United States. By comparison, accidents in Santa Rosa occur once every 8.7 years.

It could be worse. Drivers in San Francisco and Los Angeles are involved in accidents once every 6.1 years. The worst (or unluckiest) drivers are in Glendale, where accidents occur once every 5.6 years.

“It begins a conversation about traffic safety and lets us know where the collisions take place,” said Allstate spokesman Jim Klapthor. “When you’re driving, focus is paramount. Just because we’re comfortable behind the wheel doesn’t mean we can lose focus behind the wheel.”

The report takes into account all claims, from serious accidents to minor fender benders in the garage, Klapthor said. The data is based on where the accident takes place, not where the driver lives.

Santa Rosa ranked 105th for driver safety among the 200 largest cities in the United States, moving up from its ranking last year at 119, but still a long way off its best recent ranking of 61 in 2010.

In California, where 43 cities made the list, Santa Rosa ranked 16th, according to Allstate’s 11th annual “America’s Best Drivers Report.” The report is based on property damage collision claims from 2012 and 2013 and aims to bring greater attention on driver safety, Allstate said.

Not surprisingly, large, densely populated metropolitan areas rank lowest on the list of the country’s 200 largest cities. These include Oakland, 188; Los Angeles, 191; Philadelphia, 192; San Francisco, 193; Baltimore, 198; and last place Boston, 200.

New York City and Chicago, which have vigorous public transportation systems, fared better with rankings of 151 and 134, respectively.

In California, Lancaster in Los Angeles County ranked first for safety in the state, while San Francisco and Glendale ranked the lowest, at 42 and 43, respectively.

“Santa Rosa drivers don’t need to hang their heads,” said Klapthor. Instead, he said, drivers should focus when they are behind the wheel and put the cellphone down, stop eating in the car and save the grooming for later.

You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 521-5213 or martin.espinoza?@pressdemocrat.com. ?On Twitter @renofish.