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Why Buffalo drivers are being called some of the worst in the United States

Posted at 9:32 AM, Aug 09, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-09 17:40:25-04

Buffalo is getting called out for having some of the nation's worst drivers.

According to a study done by auto insurance quote website Insurify, Buffalo drivers are the 18th worst in the United States. Buffalo was the only city in New York to crack the top 20.

"“If I’m driving, talking with someone, just like I’m driving and talking to you, I can’t possibly focus 100% on what’s going on in front of me," Michael Formanowicz, AAA Driver Training Manager, said. “How often do you see somebody take a right on red and they don’t stop. They look but they just roll right through it, even stop signs.”

Why so many accidents?

“Distracted driving, following too closely and failing to yield right away,” Formanowicz said. 

And another reason you may not have expected. 

“Anytime gas prices are low and you have a lot more cars on the road, that’s pretty much a catalyst for accidents so you can tend to see a nice increase in claims," Matt Butler said, a AAA Insurance Sales Representative said. 

These are the stats used to justify Buffalo's ranking:

  • Percent of drivers with an at-fault driving incident: 24.86%
  • Population: 258,612
  • 18% less likely to receive a speeding ticket than the average driver
  • 43% more likely to get in an at-fault accident than the average driver

Insurify's complete rankings were based on a set of 1.4 million car insurance shopper applications.

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