Report: Newark Among Nation's Most Hazardous Cities for Drivers

by Paul Milo

Newark has been named one of the city’s least safe for motorists, according to a report prepared by the Allstate insurance company.

Brick City landed in 13th place among the nation’s 200 largest cities, slightly ahead of Paterson (15th) and Jersey City (17th). Washington, DC was ranked worst in the country for motorists’ safety, the report said.

According to the report, drivers will get into an accident in Newark every 6.7 years on average, which is almost 50 percent more likely than the national average of one collision every 10 years.

“We don’t want drivers in Newark, Paterson or Jersey City to be discouraged by their ranking. Instead, we want the report to challenge drivers to make positive changes to their driving habits that will in turn make those cities a safer place to live, work and raise families,” said Danny Jovic, a spokesman for Allstate New Jersey.

According to the most recent report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car crash fatalities increased by more than 1,700 from 2011 to 2012, the first year-to-year increase in fatalities since 2005. While fatalities have increased over the past year, Allstate research found that 70 percent of vehicles involved in auto claims are considered drivable, which indicates that most claims are the result of low speed (under 35 miles per hour) collisions that take place in “stop and go” traffic locations.