Why So Many Car Accidents in Baltimore: We Are Terrible Drivers

Baltimore drivers are among the worst in the country, according to the Baltimore Business Journal.

The Baltimore Business Journal’s source is Allstate, which would normally make me, ah, question the source. But Allstate has no real motivation to spin this (besides justifying the obscene car insurance prices they charge in Baltimore).

Allstate ranked 200 of America’s largest cities using car accident statistics. Baltimore drivers are in an accident an average of every 5.6 years. Of course, the vast majority of these accidents are property damage only accidents that are relatively minor.

The Allstate report also found that Baltimore drivers are also 79.4 percent more likely to get into a car accident than the average American, putting Baltimore next to last in safety. The big loser in car accident safety: Washington, D.C., which was ranked as the most dangerous city in the country.

Despite this, Baltimore has relatively few fatal car accidents compared to many other jurisdictions in Maryland. I believe Prince George’s County has four times as many fatal accidents as Baltimore City. Why? The relative lack of highways which leads to less high speed accidents – of particular importance, less high speed truck accidents.