Boise residents have many things to be proud of. We have great skiing, hiking, and a host of other outdoor activities. We have a solid history of forestry, with lumbering going back to our frontier past, and agriculture that others envy, including—of course—the best potatoes around. Now drivers in the Boise metropolitan area have something else they can be proud of: New rankings are in, and Boise drivers are some of the safest in the United States.

Consistently in the Top Ten

The 2016 version of the America’s Best Drivers Report ranks the city of Boise as the fifth safest city in the country. Fifth place might not seem like an achievement to brag about, but these rankings look at the 200 largest metropolitan areas in the United States. Boise also received special recognition as part of this year’s report: It has the longest streak of top-ten safest ratings of any city on the list, finishing in that elite group in eight of the past ten years. Boise drivers still fared extremely well even when the rankings were weighted for population density (third) and weather conditions (ninth).

Based on Crash Claim Data

The rankings were compiled by Allstate Insurance using information from their customer claims database, so while they’re a fairly representative snapshot, they don’t include all drivers. Based on eleven years of this data, the average US driver goes about ten years between collision claims. Boise drivers, with 12.8 years between collisions, did very well. Allstate has also taken the extra step of sifting through the data from its Drivewise program, which lets its customers collect data anonymously on their driving habits for analysis. The company has found a correlation between hard-braking events and the amount of collisions in a city, and Boise again ranked near the top of the pack with only 11.6 hard-braking events per 1,000 miles driven. For comparison, the national average is nineteen.

Safe, but Caution Still Required

The Best Driver rankings should be a point of pride, but Boise-area drivers shouldn’t let themselves get complacent. We still see many car crashes on our streets and highways. Some are minor, but others have terrible consequences.

For example, a motorcyclist was injured when he rear-ended a pickup in July. At the end of June, another rear-end accident injured the police chief in Emmett. That crash also injured a police K-9 dog, which had to be euthanized. A crash in Garden City on July 1 left the driver and a passenger injured and a second passenger dead. On June 21, a driver died in a crash after fleeing from police. The driver was the only casualty in that incident, but his recklessness put many others in danger.

Auto Accident Lawyers in Boise

Safe driving is a goal we should all work toward, and it’s a terrific achievement for Boise to rank so well compared to others. But we all need to recognize that safe driving is a continuous target, and all of us can do better. Millions of people are still injured every year on our nation’s roadways, and when you or a member of your family are one of those affected, you need to find someone who can help you when you seek restitution.

At Craig Swapp & Associates, we understand automobile accident law. We’ve helped many clients navigate the complex twists and turns of personal injury compensation claims after car, truck, and motorcycle crashes. We can also help when the claim involves pedestrians, bicyclists, and even public transportation. Give us a call today for a free consultation. Our number is 1-800-404-9000, or you can contact us by either completing the form at the bottom of this page or launching the LiveChat feature of this website.

Written By: Ryan Swapp     Legal Review By: Craig Swapp