This post was sponsored by Allstate. All opinions are my own.
Planning road trips around New England is one of my favorite things to do, but now that we have a baby on board, I’m more aware of what roads are safe and which are risky. Throughout the years, I’ve often heard that while you *think* that accidents are more likely to occur during long road trips, you’ll find that the majority of the time, they actually happen closest to home.
Quick story… this summer, while driving around town, taking in the views of the ocean while on our afternoon cruise, Jeff and I took a right hand turn on to a street that normally has traffic that goes both ways (aka – not a one-way street). As we’re slowly driving down the street, we see someone waving us down. We pull over and roll the window and the man says, “You might not know this, but during the summer, this street turns into a one-way street.” We were a bit confused, as there was no signage anywhere, and there was clearly two yellow lines. But, we trusted that he knew what he was talking about. For the rest of summer, we followed the “one-way” rule, but always drove in the right lane, regardless that we could technically drive in either lane. Out of curiosity, I always looked for a sign that said either “one way” or even said the start + finish of when this rule took place, but never found one.
I tell this story because, in teaming up with Allstate, we want to make the roads in New England safer. And the best way to do that is through education! I clearly need to learn more about the rules of the streets in the very town I live in to avoid collisions.
The scary part about taking this photo of the very street I’m talking about? In that 10-minute time frame, I saw cars driving in both directions and saw several cars drive down the left lane, assuming that the street was still a one-way. To this day, I still can’t tell you when the road goes back to being a two-way street.
To help with this, Allstate recently launched the “Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report®” with the purpose of educating drivers across the country about the importance of safe driving. Ultimately, the report aims to make our country’s roads safer and save lives.
When looking at the report, honestly, it wasn’t too surprising to see that BOSTON, MA was the 198th safest city in the US for 2019. Which basically means our streets aren’t actually that safe. PROVIDENCE, RI is the 193rd safest city. BRIDGEPORT, CT is 183rd. And WORCESTER, MA is ranked 197th.
Wondering how many cities were ranked in this report? 200.
To lend a hand in the cities that need it, Allstate is committing to a $150,000 in grants for 15 “Risky Roads” identified in the America’s Best Drivers Report. One of these “Risky Roads” is Route 93 in Boston. Leveraging the expertise of local transportation experts, the funds will be dedicated to improvement projects on each road, with the goal of making the road safer for all drivers, reducing the number of collisions, and ultimately saving lives.
How can you help with road safety? Here’s a few tips that Allstate has shared from their own findings:
- Leave plenty of distance between you and other vehicles – NHTSA recommends at least three seconds between you and the vehicle in front of you. The faster you’re going, the more room you need to stop safely.
- Always keep your eyes on the road, stay vigilant and minimize distractions like cellphones.
- Stay alert and share the road with other vehicles, motorcycles, bikes and pedestrians. Always signal before turning or changing lanes to alert others on the road to your intentions.
- Obey the speed limit and give yourself enough time to safely get where you’re going.
- Be sure to have an emergency roadside safety kit with caution signs and flares, and have a roadside service lined up for when you need a tow.
And remember… driving and exploring New England should be fun AND safe. Whether you’re leaf-peeping in Vermont, commuting to work in Boston, traveling to Rhode Island for time at the beach, etc.
This post was written as part of the Allstate Influencer Program and sponsored by Allstate. All opinions are mine. As the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer, Allstate is dedicated not only to protecting what matters most–but to guiding people to live the Good Life, every day.
