HUNTSVILLE, AL - If you drive in Huntsville, you should feel safe on the streets, according to an insurance company study.

Allstate Insurance Co. ranked Huntsvillle No. 8 in driving safety out of the country's 200 largest cities in the company's sixth annual America's Best Drivers Report.

Huntsville landed in the No. 1 spot in the state in the 2010 recently released report, which ranks the cities by the frequency of automobile collisions.

The average driver in Huntsville will be in an automobile crash once every 12.2 years, ranking the city has having some of the safest drivers in the country.

The city improved eight slots from the 2009 report, when it was ranked No. 16 with an average of 11.3 years between accidents for the typical driver.

"Drivers in Huntsville are making great progress toward keeping America's roadways safer," John Heid, regional spokesman for Allstate, said in a news release. "We salute Huntsville's best drivers and recognize their safe driving skills, which make all of our communities safer places to live, work and raise families."

Other Alabama cities in the survey included Birmingham, where the average driver goes 11.3 years between collisions; Mobile, with an average of 11.2 years; and Montgomery, with an average of 11 years.

Fort Collins, Col., occupied the top spot in this year's study. The average Fort Collins driver will be involved in an automobile crash once every 14.5 years, the survey found.

Allstate actuaries conduct an in-depth analysis of information from claims filed with the company to determine how likely drivers in the country's 200 largest cities will be involved in a car crash compared to the national average.

Allstate created the American's Best Drivers Report to encourage discussions about safe driving and saving lives.

The news release said that automobile crashes have generally declined over the last few years, but about 35,000 people lose their lives in automobile wrecks every year despite technological advances, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

"Human error is the biggest cause of accidents," Heid said. "It is vital for us to educate drivers across the country on the importance of being tolerant and attentive behind the wheel."

Martin Road contract

The Huntsville City Council recently approved an engineering contract to widen Martin Road from Rideout Road to Zierdt Road on Redstone Arsenal.

The city will pay Johnson & Associates up to $140,211 for land surveying and preliminary engineering design for the project.

The state and city will foot the estimated $15 million cost to widen Martin Road to four lanes on the arsenal. The state will provide $12 million and the city $3 million for the 2.5-mile long project.