New Insurance.com rankings reveal drunk driving hot spots

Foster City, CA September 27 2010 -- According to an Insurance.com survey of 20 major metropolitan cities in the United States, two California cities rank highest for drivers with alcohol-related driving violations. San Diego and San Jose snag the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, respectively.

Insurance.com analyzed information reported by users seeking car insurance quotes over the last three years. While factors such as proximity to colleges or nightlife may play a role in a city's level of alcohol-related driving violations, stringent enforcement could play a key role in determining a city's rank among the list of 20.

What do Insurance.com's rankings mean for people visiting and living in these cities? Drinking and driving in one of these locations could come with a very high risk of getting caught. Individuals with alcohol-related driving histories face the prospect of increased car insurance rates and possibly jail time or other penalties.

Here are the rankings for 20 major metropolitan cities in the U.S. in terms of percentage of drivers reporting alcohol-related driving violations, according to Insurance.com data:

1. San Diego, CA
2. San Jose, CA
3. Charlotte, NC
4. Phoenix, AZ
5. Columbus, OH
6. Indianapolis, IN
7. Los Angeles, CA
8. San Francisco, CA
9. Austin, TX
10. Jacksonville, FL
11. San Antonio, TX
12. Dallas, TX
13. Houston, TX
14. Fort Worth, TX
15. Memphis, TN
16. Philadelphia, PA
17. New York, NY
18. Baltimore, MD
19. Chicago, IL
20. Detroit, MI

Insurance.com's article, The U.S. Cities with the Most Drunk Driving Offenders, offers analysis of the new rankings. The article explores possible reasons for the relative rankings of cities, including the possibility that increased enforcement strategies - such as sobriety checkpoints and mobile DUI units - contribute to higher incidence of drunk driving violations.

Methodology

Insurance.com's study analyzed the percentage of car insurance quote requests for which users reported alcohol-related driving violations. Only the top 20 U.S. cities, in terms of population, were ranked. Boston was excluded due to lack of data.

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Insurance.com provides articles that help consumers understand insurance, and the site makes it easy for consumers to research insurance questions and get fast, free comparison rates from multiple companies. Experts from Insurance.com are available for interviews about auto insurance topics and these rankings.

Press contact:
Jessica Cultra
650.578.6880
jcultra@insurance.com