Maybe it's all the snow and ice, but Ottawa drivers crash into things more often than other Canadians, an insurance company study suggests.

Canada's capital ranked highest among 50 Canadian cities in Allstate Insurance's study of collision claims. In Ottawa, 6.7% of vehicles the company insures had a claim filed because they were involved in accidents, Allstate's Canada Safe Driving Study reported. Medicine Hat, Alta., has the lowest collision rate at 3.7%.

"The first question I get asked is why Ottawa is the highest," said Greg Bergeron, manager of the Allstate agency in Barrhaven and Nepean.

He's not sure what accounts for Ottawa's dubious distinction as the most accident-prone town.

"We could say Ottawa has harsher weather than other parts of the province," Bergeron suggested.

The study ranks cities in which the company has at least 1,500 customers. The report ranks the frequency of claims in Ontario, Alberta, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia -- provinces where Allstate does business.

"The whole idea behind this is to get people talking about safe driving habits," Bergeron said.

Speed, impaired driving and texting and driving are big causes of accidents. But simple things like adjusting to road conditions or even brushing snow off a windshield can reduce accidents, he said.

As an insurance company, Allstate wants to pay fewer claims. But as a corporate citizen, it wants to reduce the toll accidents take on people's lives.

"We've seen firsthand the tragedies distracted driving has had, that impaired driving has had," Bergeron said.

"We want to reduce the number of collisions because it's not good for anybody."

More collisions are reported in December than in other months. Over the past 10 years, the days leading up to Christmas have the highest number of accidents reported, with 3,150 on Dec. 21, something the company says results from the last-minute rush of parties and shopping before Christmas.

Christmas Day, New Year's Day and Canada Day are the three dates with the fewest number of collisions.

It's difficult for police to determine why Ottawa ranked last, said Sgt. Denis Hull.

"It's hard to analyze because we don't know the numbers. We don't know how many are insured (by Allstate) in the city of Ottawa compared to other cities."

Ottawa police recently launched a six-month "Leave the Phone Alone" campaign, cracking down on drivers who talk or text on their cellphones while they're driving, Hull said.

Over the past five years, distracted driving has been responsible for 6,400 injuries and 18 deaths in Ottawa, Hull said.

Twitter: @Corey_Larocque