Autounfall: Offenbach bleibt Spitzenreiter bei Kfz-Schäden

Offenbach, a city in the German state of Hessia, continues to top the list of vehicles with the most damage, according to the latest auto-insurance statistics released by Germany's total insurance association (GDV). The city's auto-hail damage is nearly 40 percent higher than the national average, according to the GDV.

Gelsenkirchen and Berlin follow in second and third place. The city with the most accident-free vehicles is the brandenburgian Elbe-Elster district, which has the best auto-hail damage record among the 413 registration districts in Germany.

Regional differences in the frequency of accidents and breakdowns influence the price of vehicle policies. They are determined not only by the model of the car but also by the place of residence. Every year, the GDV updates the regional classes, with higher classes indicating worse conditions. Offenbach is currently in regional class twelve, which means the city falls into the lower half of the scale. Most vehicle insurers, however, follow these recommendations.

The regional class is mainly determined by the place of residence. For 5.2 million German drivers operating in 63 registration districts, the regional class improves, but for 4.8 million drivers operating in 46 districts, it worsens. Jörg Asmussen, GDV's chief executive officer, explained this phenomenon. The RD's classification is primarily determined by where the driver lives. Legally required auto-hail damage insurance covers damages caused to others' property and/or health.

In the Rhineland-Main region, Offenbach is not alone in standing out. Wiesbaden ranks fifth in the nationwide damage statistics, also in a prominent position. While it is unclear why, the GDV suggests that narrow streets and denser city traffic could be contributing factors. Generally, big cities rank worse than rural areas for auto accidents.

However, there is no direct correlation between population size and auto accidents. For instance, Berlin and Offenbach are both in regional class twelve, but Hamburg and Munich are ranked lower at number ten. Despite having the largest population, Bayern, the largest state in Germany, has more registration districts than any other state, totaling 97.

Interestingly, Bavarian drivers have a safer record overall: 1.5 million Bavarian drivers have improved their rating, while only around 350,000 have seen a decline.