Behind the data: Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report®

About a year ago, the Arity Analytics – Business Intelligence team was invited by our partner, Allstate Insurance, to embark on a unique big-data analysis project as a key contributor to its 16th Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report®. Leading up to the report launch, my team and I analyzed Arity’s vast driving behavior dataset to help Allstate create an insightful report on safe driving.  

If you’re curious as to what it took to bring the data to life and get this report out the door, check out my three key takeaways from an “insider’s” point of view. 

#1 The more data, the better 

For those who aren’t familiar with the Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report, it uncovers which large cities are home to America’s safest drivers. Fun fact: This year, that’s Honolulu, Minneapolis, and Seattle.   

In past editions of the America’s Best Driver’s Report, Allstate has leveraged its insurance claims data to inform its findings. This year, Allstate tapped Arity to help. With the largest driving behavior dataset tied to insurance claims, we’re able to deliver comprehensive and granular driving behavior insights on about 15% of the U.S. licensed population.  

This scale is exactly what’s needed for insurers to look beyond their own book of business and gain a more accurate view into driving behavior trends. We examined the rate of risky driving behaviors like hard braking, driving at high speeds (80+ mph), and phone handling over an entire year across urban cities in the U.S.   

#2 Telematics programs make a difference 

While we analyzed this data to uncover cities with the safest drivers, there was another key takeaway unveiled during the process: Allstate Drivewise® customers are safer on the roads compared to other connected drivers in our dataset. Not only are they in 25% fewer severe collisions, but they also interact with their phones less, hard brake less often, and spend less time driving at high speeds than other connected drivers.  

As Allstate Insurance’s telematics partner, it was great to see that what we’re doing at Arity is making a meaningful difference in motivating safe driving behaviors. Hey, it’s all about driving change with driving data!  

#3 It takes passion to drive the future of mobility 

Anyone who’s been in a virtual meeting with me knows that my profile picture is me holding up an “I ❤️ DATA” sign. So, the chance to look granularly at Arity’s driving behavior data – at every single trip (i.e., drive) across the entire U.S. and over an entire year timespan – was a daunting, yet exciting project to take on. Fortunately, my team shares the same passion for digging into the data, analyzing it, and using it to educate people about safe driving.  

I want to shout out each member of the Analytics – Business Intelligence team for embarking on this feat. Not only are we transforming data into insights into safe driving education, but we’re doing so in a way that champions a smarter, safer, and more useful future of mobility for everyone.  

Ready for more data around driving in the U.S.? Download Arity’s latest data report, “Data in action: Solving the driving safety crisis.”