Allstate analyzes car crash claims to rank 49 Ontario communities
St. Thomas has the safest drivers, while GTA communities bring up the rear
"Allstate's first Ontario Safe Driving Study shows that communities in the Greater
The Ontario Safe Driving Study ranks communities, as well as regions, by analyzing car collision frequency to identify which communities have the safest drivers according to Allstate data from 2006-2009. It also offers a comparison to the same data from 2003-2006.
Other highlights from the study include:
- When the 49 Ontario communities examined are aggregated in five
regions, the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) ranks lowest on the list,
while Northern Ontario ranks the highest.
- Along with leading the safe driving rankings, St. Thomas also shows
the greatest improvement from 2003-2006 to 2006-2009.
- Cornwall and Georgetown show the biggest proportional increases in
car crash claims over the two, three-year periods.
"We're thrilled to hear that our community has been ranked as Ontario's safest driving community by Allstate. It's a great reflection of our community and our commitment to making St. Thomas a safe and welcoming place to live or visit," says St.
Despite the strides that many communities are making, car collisions are still a common occurrence. As a friendly reminder to drivers, Allstate offers the following tips to stay safe on Ontario roads:
- Minimize Distractions - Focus on the road; avoid engaging in any
other activity while driving.
- Be Aware of Road Conditions - Weather can influence your visibility
and ability to control your vehicle.
- Leave a Safe Distance - Maintain at least 'Three Steamboats'
(seconds) between your vehicle and the one in front of you in good
driving conditions. In wet conditions leave 'Six Steamboats', and in
poor/slippery conditions leave 9 - 12 seconds.
- Avoid Road Rage - Reduce stressful driving by allowing extra time to
arrive at your destination.
- Maintain Your Car - Make sure your brakes, exhaust, tires, lights,
battery and hoses are all in good working order.
- Watch Your Speed - Many accidents occur as a result of drivers
disobeying the legally posted speed limit.
- Don't Drive While Impaired - Plan ahead, designate a sober driver,
take a taxi, walk with a friend, arrange to stay over or take local
transit.
The Study
Allstate conducted an in-depth analysis of company claim data to determine the average number of collisions per 100 cars in communities across Ontario. To ensure the data provides a realistic outlook of what is happening on Ontario roadways, only communities with at least 900 cars insured by Allstate over the three-year period were included in the study. Three-year periods were chosen to provide a larger sample for more meaningful analysis. The collision data used in this study tracks back to the registered car address.
The Allstate Ontario Safe Driving Study is produced solely to boost discussion about safe driving and to increase awareness of the importance of being tolerant and attentive behind the wheel. The study is not used to determine auto insurance rates.
About Allstate Insurance Company of
Allstate Insurance Company of
Backgrounder - Ontario Safe Driving Study
Allstate Insurance Company of Canada's Ontario Safe Driving Study ranks communities, as well as regions, by analyzing car collision frequency to identify which communities have the safest drivers according to Allstate data. This study spans a three-year period from 2006-2009 and offers a comparison to the same data from 2003-2006.
Methodology
- The Number of Collision Claims/100 cars is calculated for 2003-2006
and 2006-2009, based on:
- Communities with at least 900 cars insured by Allstate over the
three-year period.
- More than 25,000 collision claims paid out in each of the
designated three-year periods.
- Three-year periods were chosen to provide a larger sample for more
meaningful analysis.
- Claims data is limited to collisions for which there was a payout.
Claims on comprehensive policies for such incidents as break-ins or
vandalism are not included in this analysis.
- Collision data tracks back to the registered car address.
- The Number of Collision Claims/100 cars is determined by dividing the
total number of paid collision claims by the number of cars insured
by Allstate in each community, times 100 cars.
- Survey data ranks frequency of crashes, not severity of crash.
- The term 'cars' refers to private passenger vehicles.
- Allstate Canada claims data is used to establish the rankings.
Community Highlights
- Communities in the Greater Toronto Area ranked 40 through 49 out of
the 49 communities reviewed for the study.
- St. Thomas ranks as the safest driving community with an average
number of collision claims of 2.5/100 cars (2006-2009).
- St. Thomas showed a 25 per cent improvement from 2003-2006 to
2006-2009.
Regional Highlights
- Northern Ontario ranks as number one region with the lowest crash
rate in Ontario.
- The Greater Toronto Area ranks as the bottom of the five Ontario
regions.
- Southwestern Ontario is the most improved region from 2003-2006 to
2006-2009.
Regional Breakdown
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2006-2009 Number of
Collision Claims 2006-2009 (2003-2006
Region /100 cars Ranking Ranking)
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North 3.5 1 (1)
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Central 3.9 2 (2)
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Southwest 4.3 3 (4)
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East 4.5 4 (3)
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GTA 5.5 5 (5)
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Community Breakdown
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2006-2009
Number of
Population Collision
(2006 Claims 2006-2009 (2003-2006
Community Region Census) /100 cars Ranking Ranking)*
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St. Thomas Southwest 36,110 2.5 1 (9)
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Belleville East 48,821 2.6 2 (1)
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Chatham Southwest 108,177 3.4 3 (14)
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Welland Southwest 50,331 3.4 4 (2)
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Sudbury North 157,857 3.6 5 (6)
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North Bay North 53,966 3.7 6 (15)
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Amherstburg Southwest 21,748 3.7 7 (3)
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Thunder Bay North 109,140 3.7 8 (16)
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Sault Ste. Marie North 74,948 3.7 9 (10)
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Keswick GTA 21,000 3.8 10 (5)
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St. Catharines Southwest 131,989 3.8 11 (12)
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Innisfil GTA 31,175 3.9 12 (21)
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Bowmanville GTA 31,830 3.9 13 (7)
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Bradford GTA 24,039 4.0 14 (18)
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Kingston East 117,207 4.0 15 (11)
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Niagara Falls Southwest 82,181 4.0 16 (23)
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Sarnia Southwest 71,419 4.0 17 (13)
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Peterborough Central 74,898 4.1 18 (17)
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Windsor Southwest 216,473 4.3 19 (29)
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Cornwall East 45,965 4.3 20 (4)
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Brantford Southwest 90,192 4.3 21 (22)
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Newmarket GTA 74,295 4.5 22 (20)
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Cambridge Southwest 120,371 4.5 23 (35)
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Georgetown GTA 120,371 4.5 24 (8)
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Kitchener Southwest 204,668 4.7 25 (25)
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Guelph Southwest 114,943 4.8 26 (19)
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Burlington GTA 164,415 4.9 27 (26)
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Hamilton Southwest 504,559 5.1 28 (30)
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Stouffville GTA 24,390 5.1 29 (32)
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Barrie Central 128,430 5.3 30 (39)
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Markham GTA 261,573 5.3 31 (40)
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Aurora GTA 47,629 5.4 32 (28)
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Ottawa East 812,129 5.4 33 (31)
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Orillia Central 30,259 5.4 34 (24)
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London Southwest 352,395 5.5 35 (33)
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Oshawa GTA 141,590 5.6 36 (37)
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Woodbridge GTA 238,866 5.6 37 (27)
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Oakville GTA 165,613 5.6 38 (34)
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Pickering GTA 100,273 5.6 39 (43)
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Concord GTA (xx) 5.6 40 (48)
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Toronto GTA 2,503,281 5.6 41 (44)
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Mississauga GTA 668,549 5.8 42 (41)
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Milton GTA 53,939 5.8 43 (36)
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Richmond Hill GTA 162,704 5.9 44 (42)
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Bolton GTA 26,478 5.9 45 (NR)
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Brampton GTA 433,806 5.9 46 (45)
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Maple GTA 49,388 6.2 47 (38)
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Ajax GTA 93,104 6.5 48 (46)
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Thornhill GTA 106,394 6.6 49 (47)
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* NR - not ranked
(xx) Concord is an unincorporated community in the
City of Vaughan (2001)
Communities with the Largest Decrease in Collision Claim Rate
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Percent Reduction in
Collision Claim Rate
Community (2003-06 to 2006-09) Overall Ranking
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1. St. Thomas 25% 1
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2. Concord 16% 40
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3. Chatham 13% 3
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4. Cambridge 10% 23
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5. Niagara Falls 10% 16
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6. Innisfil 10% 12
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7. Windsor 9% 19
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8. Thunder Bay 6% 8
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9. North Bay 6% 6
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10. Brampton 3% 46
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Communities with the Largest Increase in Collision Claim Rate
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Percent Increase in
Collision Claim Rate
Community (2003-06 to 2006-09) Overall Ranking
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1. Cornwall 42% 20
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2. Georgetown 35% 24
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3. Amherstburg 31% 7
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4. Bolton 23% 45
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5. Keswick 22% 10
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6. Welland 21% 4
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7. Woodbridge 20% 37
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8. Orillia 19% 34
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9. Bowmanville 16% 13
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10. Milton 16% 43
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For further information: on Allstate's Ontario Safe Driving Study, please visit www.allstate.ca; For more information regarding safe driving tips or to speak with Tony Irwin, please contact: Karen Nussbaum, Thornley Fallis Communications, (416) 515-7517, ext. 334, (647) 294-3321, [email protected]
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