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Does DC Rank as One of the Most Dangerous Cities to Drive In?

See how the district compares to the 200 largest U.S. cities.

By Maggie Roth July 9, 2026 at 11:05 am

If you typically drive into DC for your morning commute, you may want to consider the Metro. In Allstate’s 2026 America’s Best Drivers Report, Washington, DC, ranked as the second most dangerous city to drive in.  

The annual report ranks the 200 largest U.S. cities based on auto insurance claims and data from Allstate’s Drivewise platform, which provides feedback on driving behaviors such as speeding and braking.  

DC landed second to last (No. 199) on the safest cities list, making it the second most dangerous. Arlington and Alexandria were No. 167 and No. 189, respectively.  

According to the report, DC and Northern Virginia had a high rate of nighttime driving, which it says “can increase risk due to reduced visibility and a higher likelihood of fatigue or impaired driving.” DC was also among the cities with the most phone use while driving.  

The report said that average DC drivers go 4.25 years between collisions — that’s far more often than the national average of 10.86 years. The likelihood of a collision in the district is 156.3% higher than the national average.  

Boston, Massachusetts ranked No. 200 on the safest list, making it the most dangerous. Baltimore was No. 198; Worcester, Massachusetts was No. 197; and Springfield, Massachusetts, was No. 196.  

Brownsville, Texas, ranked as the safest city to drive in; collisions are 27.5% less likely to occur than the national average. It was followed by Fort Collins, Colorado; Boise, Idaho; Laredo, Texas; and Cary, North Carolina.  

Feature image, f11photo/stock.adobe.com

Maggie Roth

Maggie Roth

Associate Editor

Maggie Roth is the associate editor for Northern Virginia Magazine, where she covers news and culture in the NoVA area. Originally from New Jersey, she is a graduate of George Mason University and joined the magazine in 2021 as an editorial intern.

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