The latest edition of the Allstate Insurance Company “America’s Best Drivers Report” lists Brownsville as the safest Texas city for driving. Brownsville, which ranked 25th overall, replaces Laredo which was the safest Texas city for driving last year.

The four years prior to Laredo being named “safest driving city in Texas” Brownsville was top-ranked in the state, so it’s a coming home of sorts for the city which has strengthened distracted driving laws and has a reputation for zero tolerance of drunk drivers.

Brownsville ranked 25th nationwide, coming in ahead of last year’s top city in Texas, Laredo, which maintained its position at 28. Prior to 2011, Brownsville held the top spot for four straight years.

According to the report, the average driver in Brownsville will experience an auto collision every 11.4 years, compared to a national average of 10.0 years. Other Texas cities beating the national average include Laredo, McAllen, Amarillo and Lubbock….For the past eight years, Allstate actuaries have conducted an in-depth analysis of company claims data to determine the likelihood drivers in America’s 200 largest cities will experience a vehicle collision compared to the national average. Internal property damage reported claims were analyzed over a two-year period (from January 2009 to December 2010) to ensure the findings would not be impacted by external influences such as weather or road construction.

The report is certainly good news for Brownsville, Texas, residents, who can brag about their safety to their neighbors in the next town over. But what it really seems to indicate is that safety needs to improve statewide. Texas boasts some of the most populous cities in the nation (Dallas, Houston, Ft Worth) yet not one made it into the top 20, much less the top 5. Armed with this latest report we would hope to see further vigilance and public education information concerning the importance of safe driving for residents all across Texas.