Where Are Motorcycles Stolen or Crashed Least or Most?
MAYFIELD VILLAGE, Ohio--Feb. 27, 2006--If you think you'd be more likely to have your motorcycle stolen if you lived in Chicago versus Wichita, who could blame you? After all, it's a much bigger city. The same goes for crashes; no one could fault you for assuming that the bigger the city, the more the traffic congestion and therefore the greater the odds of having an accident. But that's not always the case, according to The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies, which insures more motorcycles than any other insurance group in the country.Progressive reviewed claims data on more than two million motorcycles insured over the past three years to determine the likelihood of a motorcyclist getting into an accident or having a bike stolen. The analysis focused on the 89 U.S. metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 and higher.
The study found Honolulu riders are most likely to have their bikes stolen, even though it's the 53rd largest metropolitan area. In fact, a motorcyclist in Honolulu is four times more likely to have a bike stolen than is a motorcyclist in Chicago or Detroit, which are the third and seventh largest metro areas in the country, respectively.
Similarly, though Baton Rouge ranks 75th in population, it ranks third when it comes to the likelihood of a rider there having a motorcycle crash. And, a motorcyclist in Philadelphia, the country's fifth largest metro area, is 36 percent less likely to have an accident as one in the Norfolk-Virginia Beach metro area, which is the 47th largest.
One metropolitan area where the statistics are more in line with what you might expect is New York; it ranks number one both in population and in the likelihood of motorcycle collisions. And, while three metro areas rank among the most likely for both thefts and collisions (New York, Norfolk-Virginia Beach, and San Diego), only one - Cincinnati - ranks among the least likely for both.
The rankings in the following tables are based on a relative scale, with 100 representing the national average. (So, for example, in the table showing the metro areas in which a motorcycle is most likely to be crashed, New York would rank 71 points above the average.)
Motorcycle Collision:
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Metro Areas In Which A Motorcycle is Most Likely to be Crashed(a)
(among metros with pop. greater than 500,000)
Metro Area Likelihood vs. Population Rank
National Average of 100
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1. New York, N.Y.-N.J. 171 1
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2. Norfolk-Virginia Beach-
Portsmouth, Va.-N.C. 157 47
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3. Baton Rouge, La. 153 75
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4. San Diego, Calif. 142 15
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5. San Francisco-Oakland,
Calif. 140 9
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6. New Orleans, La. 128 41
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7. San Antonio, Texas 126 31
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8. McAllen-Pharr-Edinburg,
Texas 124 76
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9. Nassau-Suffolk, N.Y. 123 16
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10. Orlando, Fla. 123 36
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Metro Areas In Which A Motorcycle is Least Likely to be Crashed(a)
(among metros with pop. greater than 500,000)
Metro Area Likelihood vs. Population Rank
National Average of 100
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80. Columbus, Ohio 82 37
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81. Oxnard-Simi Valley-
Ventura, Calif. 82 62
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82. Cleveland, Ohio 80 24
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83. Providence-Warwick-
Pawtucket, R.I.-Mass. 79 69
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84. Tacoma, Wash. 76 64
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85. Cincinnati, Ohio-Ky.-Ind. 74 32
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86. Toledo, Ohio-Mich. 72 61
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87. Akron, Ohio 70 65
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88. Indianapolis, Ind. 70 34
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89. Bakersfield, Calif. 68 67
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(a) The rankings in the tables above are based on a relative scale,
with 100 representing the national average. (So, for example, in
the table showing the metro areas in which a motorcycle is most
likely to be crashed, New York, at 171, would rank 71 points, or
71 percent, above the average. In the table showing the metro
areas in which a motorcycle is least likely to be crashed,
Bakersfield, at 68, would rank 32 points, or 32 percent, below the
average.)
Motorcycle Theft:
----------------
Metro Areas In Which A Motorcycle is Most Likely to be Stolen(a)
(among metros with pop. greater than 500,000)
Metro Area Likelihood vs. Population Rank
National Average of 100
----------------------------- ----------------------- ----------------
1. Honolulu, Hawaii 428 53
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2. Miami, Fla. 359 22
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3. San Diego, Calif. 277 15
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4. Las Vegas, Nev. 249 35
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5. New York, N.Y.-N.J. 247 1
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6. Washington, DC-Md.-Va. 242 8
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7. Los Angeles-Long Beach,
Calif. 233 2
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8. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood,
Fla. 229 29
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9. New Orleans, La. 228 41
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10. Norfolk-Virginia Beach-
Portsmouth, Va.-N.C. 226 47
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Metro Areas In Which A Motorcycle is Least Likely to be Stolen(a)
(among metros with pop. greater than 500,000)
Metro Area Likelihood vs. Population Rank
National Average of 100
----------------------------- ----------------------- ----------------
80. Nashville-Davidson, Tenn. 45 39
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81. Pittsburgh, Pa. 42 23
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82. Milwaukee, Wis. 42 33
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83. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. 41 14
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84. Cincinnati, Ohio-Ky.-Ind. 41 32
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85. Lansing-East Lansing, Mich. 41 88
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86. Albany-Schenectady-
Troy, N.Y. 39 57
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87. Syracuse, N.Y. 35 73
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88. Harrisburg, Pa. 33 85
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89. Grand Rapids, Mich. 29 55
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(a) The rankings in the tables above are based on a relative scale,
with 100 representing the national average. (So, for example, in
the table showing the metro areas in which a motorcycle is most
likely to be stolen, Honolulu, at 428, would rank 328 points, or
328 percent, above the average. In the table showing the metro
areas in which a motorcycle is least likely to be stolen, Grand
Rapids, at 29, would rank 71 points, or 71 percent, below the
average.)
"Riders can't assume that just because they may live in a smaller metropolitan area they have less risk of accident or theft; the data make that very clear," said Rick Stern, motorcycle product manager, Progressive. "No matter where they live, motorcyclists are encouraged to ride safely; to take appropriate measures to protect themselves and their bikes; and to review their insurance policies to make sure they have the coverage that's right for them based on their individual circumstances."
Oh, and in case you're wondering, if you live in Wichita, you're 67 percent more likely to have your bike stolen than if you live in Chicago - even though Chicago is the third largest metro area in the country and Wichita is the 87th.Click HERE: for the complete list of the 89 largest metropolitan areas where motorcycles are most likely to be stolen; CLICK HERE: for the list of where motorcycles are most likely to be crashed.
The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies, in business since 1937, ranks third in the nation for auto insurance and number one for motorcycle insurance based on premiums written and provides drivers with competitive rates and 24/7 in-person and online service. The products and services of the Progressive Direct Group of Insurance Companies, which is a sponsor of the 2006 Amp'd Mobile AMA Supercross Series, the world's premier off-road motorcycle racing series, are marketed directly to consumers by phone at 1-800-PROGRESSIVE and online at www.progressivedirect.com through the Progressive Direct(SM) brand. The products and services of the Drive Group of Progressive Insurance Companies are offered by more than 30,000 independent insurance agencies and online at www.driveinsurance.com through the Drive(R) Insurance from Progressive brand. The Common Shares of The Progressive Corporation, the Mayfield Village, Ohio-based holding company, are publicly traded at NYSE:PGR. More information can be found at www.progressive.com.
Rick Stern, Progressive motorcycle product manager, is available for interview.