DC ranks 4th nationwide for safest cities to drive in

WASHINGTON — U.S. News and World Report has ranked Washington, D.C. as the 4th safest city for drivers nationwide in a new study.

From 2019 through 2021, officials claim there were significantly less cars on the road due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

That being said, officials say the lighter traffic did not mean fewer traffic deaths.

In fact, during the same three-year span, traffic deaths increased by about 19%. From 36,096 in 2019 to 42,915 in 2021, according to a study by the nonprofit The Road Information Program (TRIP).

Officials claim a number of factors determine the degree of a risk a driver takes when hitting the road including where they live, how many miles they drive, and even what type of car they own.

U.S. News and World Report commissioned a study of the 50 largest U.S. cities to determine which are the safest and riskiest for drivers.

Officials looked at data on fatal auto accidents per capita in each city from 2016 to 2020, and at the number of people per capita involved in fatal crashes in each city during that same time frame for the study.

In addition, the study examined the average fatality rate per miles traveled in each state from 2019 to 2021; the number of DUI arrests per capita in each state from 2017 to 2019; and the rate of auto thefts from 2019 through 2021. 

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