Allstate Canada customers in Alberta have highest collision frequency, nationally collisions down 5.3%

Alberta has posted the highest frequency of collisions of the four provinces considered in Allstate Canada’s recent analysis of its customer claims data.

Allstate Canada’s fifth annual Safe Driving Study, released Wednesday, ranks 50 Canadian communities by the frequency of collisions per 100 cars insured by the company. It considers customer claims data in Ontario, Alberta, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia over a two-year period from July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2013.

In terms of frequency of collisions, Nova Scotia had a rate of 4.45%; New Brunswick, 4.73%; Ontario, 4.99%; and Alberta, 5.20%.

The findings were released in advance of National Safe Driving Week, which kicks into gear next week.

Regionally, the analysis lists the collision frequency of the participating cities, including the following:

• Alberta: Medicine Hat, 2.93%; Spruce Grove, 3.75%; Lethbridge, 4.06%; Sherwood Park, 4.68%; St. Albert, 4.75%; Calgary, 5.72%; and Edmonton, 5.84%.
• Ontario: Sarnia, 3.50%; Sault Ste. Marie, 4.14%; Greater Sudbury, 4.15%; St. Catharines, 4.19%; Cornwall, 4.25%; Peterborough, 4.29%; and Thunder Bay, 4.30%.
• Maritimes: Dartmouth, 4.34%; Lower Sackville, 4.40%; Riverview, 4.45%; Saint John, 5.04%; Fredericton, 5.18%; Moncton, 5.34%; and Halifax, 5.47%.

In terms of collision frequency rate, Medicine Hat, Alberta was the most improved community tracked in the study, with its rate falling 46.17% from 5.45% in the 2009-2011 period to 2.93% in 2011-2013.

The next five most improved communities are Spruce Grove, Alta., whose rate decreased 30.31%; Brampton, Ont., 25.10% decrease; Saint John, N.B., 20.97% decrease; and Cornwall, Ont., 18.43% decrease.

But there were also increases in collision frequency rate, the five highest all being in Ontario: Milton, 21.51% increase; Kingston, 17.12% increase; Georgetown, 10.21% increase; Hamilton, 8.87% increase; and Kitchener, 8.66% increase.

Thursday and Fridays have the most collisions (17.0% and 16.0%, respectively) of any day of the week, perhaps because these are both “commuter days and days when people are getting together or socializing after work,” Allstate Canada spokesperson Saskia Matheson suggests in the statement.

“The other days of the week are likely to be commuter days or social days, but perhaps not both,” Matheson says. Driver fatigue at the end of the work week is also cited as a possible contributor to more collisions on Thursdays and Fridays.

Sunday is the safest day, representing 9.8% of collisions, Allstate Canada notes.

Collisions for customers insured by Allstate Canada across the country are down by 5.3% compared to the previous 24-month period, the company notes.

“Many car collisions are avoidable, so reinforcing the message of safe driving is a priority for Allstate Canada,” Matheson adds. “While the study can only look at our data, we believe it’s important to share what trends we are seeing and by expanding the study to over 60 cities across Canada we can increase the national conversation about road safety.”

To ensure the data provides a realistic outlook of what is happening on roadways, only communities with at least 1,500 cars insured by Allstate Canada during the 24-month period were included in the study. Claims data is limited to collisions for which there was a payout; claims for incidents such as break-ins or vandalism are not included in the analysis.