Progressive Insurance has listed the motorcyle crash rates for various regions of the country. As the owner of a new Harley, I thought I'd check it out. Here are the top five:

Cities with the Highest Motorcycle Crash Rates

1. New York, NY/NJ 171
2. Norfolk/Virginia Beach/Portsmouth, VA/NC 157
3. Baton Rouge, LA 153
4. San Diego, CA 142
5. San Francisco/Oakland, CA 140

A local paper interviewed a local Progressive agent (no link available), and he said they had no idea why this region would be so high. The reporter speculated that it was all the distracting scenery. Doesn't anybody think anymore? Memo to newspaper and insurance agents: here are four likely reasons, all within a ten mile radius of my downtown office:

Naval Station Norfolk

Navy SEALs Teams Two, Four, Six, Eight, and Ten

Naval Air Station Oceana

Langley Air Force Base