New Driver Safety Report: Seattle and Tacoma Drivers are Accident Prone and Getting Worse

An insurance company just released its 10th annual "America's Best Drivers Report", and it isn't good news for the Seattle/Tacoma area. Out of 200 top cities ranked for "safest driving city", Seattle ranked 173rd and Tacoma was only slightly better, coming in at 153rd.

Could it be all the hills in the city? San Francisco, a notoriously hilly city, came in 190th for safety and an even-worse 192nd in rainy or snowy conditions.

The safest cities to drive are Fort Collins, Colorado and Brownsville, Texas. Even in rain and snow conditions -- and Fort Collins gets plenty of it -- that city is ranked second for safest driving in the entire U.S.

In addition, Seattle drivers can expect to get in an accident once every 7.4 years, and the relative accident likelihood is a whopping 36% compared to the national average!

Tacoma drivers fare only slightly better, getting in an accident on an average of every 7.8 years, and having a 28.6% likelihood of getting in an accident compared to the national average.

Both Seattle and Tacoma have slipped in the safety rankings in the last couple of years, Seattle falling from 160th in 2013 to 173rd, and Tacoma from 144th to 153rd.

The report takes into account population, city density and weather conditions in its rankings. In fact, many of the cities in the top 20 are from Midwest, where heavy rain and snow is a factor much of the year.

The best advice for becoming a safer city in which to drive? Slow down, be alert at all times, and don't text or talk while on the road.

Make sure you're covered in the event you're involved in an accident, whether it's your fault or not. Call SAV-ON Insurance at 888-867-2866 for a free policy review. If you're one of the 36% that has an accident, you want to be adequately covered!

Source: Allstate's 2014 America's Best Drivers Report

"Back to School" Insurance

As August ends, it's time to start thinking about going back to school! What does that have to do with insurance? More than you think! Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Good Grades - Do you have a teenage driver in the house (or one soon to be)? Many policies allow discounted rates for students with good grades. Don't forget to talk to your kids about the importance of keeping those grades up! These discounts can apply to college students, too.

Driver Training - There are different discounts available for Drivers Education classes. We can review all the options and let you know which discounts will impact you the most.

Moving To The Dorm - Is your college student living in a dorm this semester? Your homeowners insurance may cover their belongings without additional coverage being needed. This is called Property Off Premises coverage. Find out more by calling your friendly SAV-ON agent.

Remember, any claims are subject to your deductible, which is usually higher on home policies! Let us review your policy to check for the specific amounts of coverage included.

Moving To An Apartment - Let's say your college student has graduated from the dorms and moved on to an apartment of their own. In this case, your homeowners insurance would not cover their belongings and they would need their own renters insurance policy.

Renters Insurance is very affordable and covers all of the contents of the property. It also provides liability insurance if someone were injured in the property or if the student caused a fire, etc. By making sure they are properly insured, you are also protecting yourself.

Call SAV-ON Insurance Today. We're Here to Help!

We work hard to make sure all of our clients have the right coverage at all times. The fastest and easiest way to make sure your student is receiving all the discounts they qualify for and that their belongings are covered when they are in college is to schedule a review! Call  888-867-2866 to review your policy and situation and we'll make sure all of your questions are answered.