PROVIDENCE – A national property and casualty insurance trade group recently released a report showing traffic fatalities grew nearly 18 percent in Rhode Island during 2016.
The growth is nearly triple the 6 percent growth realized nationally, according to the report by the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, or PCI.
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The trade group says distracted driving is the No. 1 hazard on the roads today.
“Whether it’s making a quick call or firing off a text, in that short lapse of focus, all too often we can cause, or fail to avoid, a crash,” said Frank O’Brien, vice president of state government relations at PCI.
Other reasons cited in Rhode Island included miles traveled in urban areas, poor road conditions, speeding, drunk driving and young drivers.
“Even though enhanced safety technologies have made automobiles safer for passengers, auto accidents and costs associated with those crashes are rising sharply in Rhode Island and across the country,” O’Brien said. “Not only are we seeing more crashes, but the vehicles involved are becoming much more-costly to repair.”
Rhode Island ranks seventh highest in the nation for average liability premiums and third highest for average collision premiums.
PCI comprises nearly 1,000 member companies that write more than $183 billion in annual premiums, representing 35 percent of the nation’s property casualty insurance.
