The Number

Average years between collisions for Lancaster drivers A report from Allstate Insurance Co. shows where drivers are more or less likely to have collisions, with Valley-area cities at the top and bottom of the list. At the top, Lancaster ranked as the safest in California in terms of car collision claims frequency. On average, a Lancaster driver will file a claim every 10 years, about the same as the national average. The study, released in September, is based on claims data from Allstate clients for two years, 2012 to 2013. Kari Mather, a spokeswoman for Allstate, said the company wouldn’t speculate on why Lancaster topped the list, but a city’s layout, traffic signage, law enforcement, density, weather and infrastructure are all factors. “We know that the larger and more dense the city, the more people and more traffic – so consequently these cities have a higher volume of crashes,” she said. “But we also know that car accidents in rural or less urban areas are more likely to be fatal. Taking these factors into consideration provides drivers with the ability to understand where their city’s drivers stack up compared to others.” Other Valley region cities cited as safer on the list include Palmdale, ranked fourth at 9.2 years; Thousand Oaks at No. 5 with 9.1 years between collisions; and Santa Clarita in the 19th position with 8.6 years. At the bottom, Los Angeles ranked 41st at 6.1 years, and Glendale ranked last with a collision on average every 5.6 years. Kansas City, Kan. was the No. 1 safest city in the nation with the average driver experiencing an auto collision every 13.3 years. Mather said a driver’s residence in a high- or low-collision city does not affect auto insurance rates. – Joel Russell