Find out which cities are the best for driving with a telematics system to potentially help you lower your auto insurance premium.
10 Best U.S. Cities for Telematics
Orlando Tops Our List
Reviewed By Beth Swanson
Susan is a licensed insurance agent and has worked as a writer and editor for over 10 years across a number of industries. She has worked at The Zebr…
Credentials
- Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
Beth joined The Zebra in 2022 as an Associate Content Strategist. A licensed insurance agent, she specializes in creating clear, accessible content t…
Credentials
- Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
- Associate in Insurance (AINS)
- Professional Risk Consultant (PRC)
- Associate in Insurance Services (AIS)
Where You Live Affects How You Drive
Telematics is a technology that uses sensors to track driving data while you're behind the wheel. When you install a device in your car or an app on your phone, your auto insurance company may use the data to adjust your rates. And if you demonstrate responsible driving behavior, you could potentially benefit from a lower premium.
But your own driving habits aren't the only factors that could impact your telematics driving record. The environment around you could have an effect on how much time you spend behind the wheel and the riskiness of that driving environment. For example, if you are frequently braking or swerving to avoid potholes or deer that are common where you drive, you'll see that reflected in your scores. For this reason, some locations are better for telematics than others.
The Zebra set out to find the best U.S. cities for telematics based on four types of data.
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Congestion levelGetting stuck in heavy traffic could increase your risk of an accident because of the inconsistency of stop-and-go driving. This data is measured by the percentage of time lost to traffic in one year.
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Average travel time for 10 kmThe longer you spend on the road, the more chance you have of an accident occurring. This tracks the average time it takes to drive 10 kilometers (just over six miles).
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Percentage of good quality roadsBetter road quality can keep you and your vehicle safer compared to areas with worse roads, with less of a chance of driving off the road or losing control of your car.
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Likelihood of a collisionRelative to the national average, living in an area with a higher collision rate could hurt your telematics score.
The 10 Best U.S. Cities for Telematics
#1: Orlando, Florida
Maybe it's due to the vast amounts of tourists visiting the area's theme parks, but Orlando has the highest percentage of good quality roads out of all the cities we analyzed. That smooth sailing is in addition to an average travel time of only about 11.5 minutes for 10 kilometers. Worried about getting in an accident? You can relax; the collision likelihood in Orlando is just 7% above the national average (compare that to Boston, where the likelihood is 189% higher!).
Orlando by the Numbers
- Congestion level: 27.9%
- Average travel time for 10 km: 11 m, 36 s
- Percentage of good-quality roads: 69%
- Likelihood of a collision above the national average: 7.3%
#2: Jacksonville, Florida
Clearly, Florida knows how to take care of its roads because Jacksonville is another city that ranks well with over half the city's roads in good condition. It's also safer in terms of accidents, with the likelihood of a collision actually 3.8% below the national average. Congestion levels and average travel time aren't quite as competitive but still within the top 20 on our list.
Jacksonville by the Numbers
- Congestion level: 26.3%
- Average travel time for 10 km: 12 m, 16 s
- Percentage of good-quality roads: 55%
- Likelihood of a collision above the national average: -3.8%
#3: Birmingham, Alabama (tied)
Birmingham is on par with the nation as a whole when it comes to the likelihood of a collision; the city's risk is just a half percentage point higher. Road quality is also strong, helping drivers avoid swerving around potholes or losing control of their vehicles.
Birmingham by the Numbers
- Congestion level: 24.2%
- Average travel time for 10 km: 12 m, 36 s
- Percentage of good-quality roads: 49%
- Likelihood of a collision above the national average: 0.5%
#3: Raleigh, North Carolina (tied)
Raleigh ranks in the top ten for average travel time, which takes just over 12 minutes for 10 kilometers. 49% of the city's roads are in good condition and the chance of a collision is about 7% higher than the majority of the nation—still placing Raleigh in sixth place on our list for that category.
Raleigh by the Numbers
- Congestion level: 25.7%
- Average travel time for 10 km: 12 m, 3 s
- Percentage of good-quality roads: 49%
- Likelihood of a collision above the national average: 7.3%
#5: Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis stands out as a great city for telematics largely because of its favorable traffic conditions. The congestion level sits below 20% and the average travel time for 10km is just over 11 minutes. The chance of getting into an accident is also on the lower end at 15%. The downside, however, is that only 29% of Memphis roads are in good shape.
Memphis by the Numbers
- Congestion level: 19.4%
- Average travel time for 10 km: 11 m, 19 s
- Percentage of good-quality roads: 29%
- Likelihood of a collision above the national average: 15.1%
#6: Kansas, City, Missouri
Kansas City is another city where traffic is lighter so you won't be tapping your brakes as much during your daily commute. Congestion is just under 20% and it takes about 11.5 minutes to travel 10 kilometers. Collision chances are nearly 20% above the national average, however, and only 30% of roads are in good condition.
Kansas City by the Numbers
- Congestion level: 19.6%
- Average travel time for 10 km: 11 m, 31 s
- Percentage of good-quality roads: 30%
- Likelihood of a collision above the national average: 19.4%
#7: San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio drivers enjoy the shortest average travel time out of all the cities on our list, taking just 10 minutes and 41 seconds for 10km. So it's no surprise that the congestion level is also fairly low at 23.5%. On the flipside, only 29% of San Antonio's roads are in good condition and the collision odds are nearly 30% higher than the rest of the country.
San Antonio by the Numbers
- Congestion level: 23.5%
- Average travel time for 10 km: 10 m, 41 s
- Percentage of good-quality roads: 29%
- Likelihood of a collision above the national average: 29.6%
#8: Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville also benefits from a low average travel time for 10 kilometers, clocking in at 11 minutes and 42 seconds. Additionally, the likelihood of getting in a car accident is just 13% above the national average. Road quality is mediocre with just 31% qualifying as good and congestion levels reaching just beyond 30%.
Louisville by the Numbers
- Congestion level: 30.7%
- Average travel time for 10 km: 11 m, 42 s
- Percentage of good-quality roads: 31%
- Likelihood of a collision above the national average: 13%
#9: Cincinnati, Ohio
Traffic looks fairly clear in Cincinnati, helping drivers with smooth commutes and (hopefully) clear telematics data. Congestion levels are under 24% and it takes just over 12 minutes to travel 10 kilometers. Good quality roads account for 36% of all roads in the city, but accidents are over 31% more likely than in other areas.
Cincinnati by the Numbers
- Congestion level: 23.8%
- Average travel time for 10 km: 12 m, 3 s
- Percentage of good-quality roads: 36%
- Likelihood of a collision above the national average: 31.1%
#10: Virginia, Beach, Virginia
The chance of getting in an accident in Virginia Beach is just 2% higher than other parts of the country, helping the city round out our top 10. Traffic also isn't as bad, with the congestion level around 26% and the travel time for 10 kilometers at 12 minutes and 19 seconds. However, only 22% of all roads are in good condition.
Virginia Beach by the Numbers
- Congestion level: 26.1%
- Average travel time for 10 km: 12 m, 19 s
- Percentage of good-quality roads: 22%
- Likelihood of a collision above the national average: 2%
Methodology
The Zebra used four data points to analyze the top 50 MSAs by population related to traffic and collisions. We removed Hartford, Connecticut, due to a lack of data.
Sources
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Commute Index. [Teletrac Navman]
Commute Index. [Teletrac Navman]
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Traffic Index. [TomTom]
Traffic Index. [TomTom]
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Area Analytics. [TomTom]
Area Analytics. [TomTom]
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Safest and riskiest driving cities. [Allstate]
Safest and riskiest driving cities. [Allstate]
