When it comes to collisions, drivers in Greater Sudbury are among the safest in the province, according to a study released this week by InsuranceHotline.com.
The survey ranked 60 cities in terms of how likely drivers are to be in collisions, get a traffic ticket, get both a ticket and be in a collision, and, finally, a letter grade for drivers in each city. The data was collected in surveys in which insured drivers looking for quotes for insurance were asked questions about their driving and ticketing histories.
In the first category, the survey found 8.98 per cent of drivers in Sudbury were prone to accidents, good for 42nd out of 60 on the list. Sault Ste. Marie, in contrast, finished third-highest, with 12.41 per cent of drivers rated as collision prone.
The most dangerous cities to drive in when it comes to collisions were Woodstock (13.59 per cent) and Orleans (12.8 per cent). The safest three cities were Ancaster (7.04 per cent), Toronto (7.09 per cent) and Peterborough (7.33 per cent.)
While Sudbury drivers were less prone to collisions, they made the top 10 in another category: how likely they are to get a ticket. The survey found 11.04 per cent of drivers were prone to get tickets in the Nickel City, good for sixth on the list. Caledon (15.05 per cent) topped the list, followed by Orangeville (13.23 per cent) and Bradford (12.23 per cent.)
Thornhill drivers (4.61 per cent) were least likely to be ticketed, followed by Kanata (4.80 per cent) and Scarborough (5.02 per cent).
“Traffic ticket convictions affect your insurance rates for no less than three years and accidents stay on your record for at least six,” Insurancehotline.com said in a news release. “With a less than perfect driving record, you can find yourself paying a lot of extra premiums over the year.”
Greater Sudbury was 15th on the list (5.30 per cent) in terms of the likelihood of drivers having both collisions and traffic tickets. Topping the list was Orangeville (9.43 per cent), Bradford (8.43 per cent) and Sault Ste. Marie (8.38 per cent). York (1.83 per cent), Toronto (2.48 per cent) and North York (also 2.48 per cent) were at the bottom of the list.
Overall, Sudbury drivers received a 'C' grade from the survey, placing them 13th overall out of 60. Orangeville, Bradford, Woodstock and Sault drivers all received a 'D', while York, Toronto and North York drivers all received an 'A'.
