Elk Grove Safest Place to Drive in Sacramento Report Says

Read the blog from Frank Penney Injury Lawyers in Roseville, CA below.

Every year before July 4th, the Allstate insurance company publishes a ranking of the top U.S. 200 safest cities to drive in.

And while Sacramento, Roseville, or Folsom didn’t make the top 100, Elk Grove did – coming in at #91! (The actual city of Sacramento was #130, down from 115 in 2015).

The ratings in the report were based on Allstate claims data from auto collision reports, defining a collision as any traffic incident that results in a property damage claim.

Report says July 4th Worst Day for Car Accidents

According to the Allstate report, July 4th is the “deadliest day on the road”. This is largely due to the number of people who will be drinking and driving on the holiday. This report sends an important message just in time for the holiday weekend:

While July Fourth is consistently the deadliest day on the road, the toll of crash deaths goes on every day, all year long,” Adrian Lund, president, IIHS

Lund goes on to say, “If everyone buckles up, avoids distractions, obeys the speed limit, and doesn’t drink and drive, we can make July Fourth and every day on the road a lot safer.”

Sacramento Car Accident Fatalities Down

And in Sacramento at least, it looks like people might be getting the message. The Sacramento Bee reported in January 2016 that Sacramento car accidents resulting in fatalities were down 11% in 2014 compared with 2013. They attribute the downward fatality trend to more people wearing seat belts and tighter restrictions on teen drivers, among other things.

This is a good start, but we still have a long way to go to become one of the safest cities. This July 4th holiday weekend is the perfect time to practice attentive driving.

Allstate’s America’s Best Drivers Report Infographic

Tips for Avoiding July 4th Car Accidents

Remember, even if you haven’t been drinking on July 4th, drunk driving will be more common among other drivers on the road. It’s always best to drive defensively so that you are prepared to react to traffic hazards. As a car accident attorney who’s seen far too many injuries due to distracted and/or drunk driving, we’ve come up with 3 tips to stay safe on the road this holiday season. Specifically:

• Don’t allow yourself to get distracted. Distracted driving includes not only texting but setting the GPS, fiddling with the radio, eating, fixing your hair, arguing with the kids, etc.
• Leave plenty of space between you and other drivers. Remember the old rule from high school driver’s ed? Make sure you are at least two car lengths or two seconds behind the car in front of you.
• Factor heavy traffic into your travel time. There will be a lot of vehicles on the road, and when drivers are running late, they start getting more reckless. Do not attempt driving on the shoulder to bypass heavy traffic.

July 4th car accidents are bound to happen, but don’t let them happen to you. Be safe and have fun!