Keep in mind that statistics will tell you the experience of just *one* person is not very meaningful.
Especially since flats are generally caused by random bits of debris on the road with the emphasis on *random*.

For example I'm pretty sure we all agree that a tire with a thin tread should be more prone to flats than one with a thick tread.
Well, over the first year I ran Gatorskins on my road bike, I had at least one flat every six weeks.
In the second year (same pair of tires) I had one flat early in the spring and *never* had another flat right up to the day late in the fall that I found the cords showing through the rear tread.
Now if I used my single experience, I could conclude that a thin worn tread was most resistant to flats, but I doubt I could convince anyone here.

Over this same two years I have been running the Supremes on my touring bike which has the lights and fenders, so it gets most of the winter riding, while the road bike gets most of the summer riding.
As I mentioned before, I lost a front tire due to a sidewall being sliced wide open by a large chunk of glass hidden in other road debris, and one flat due to either metal or glass (I've forgotten which), and that is all the flats over two years and ~5000 miles.

As for sidewall problems, are you talking about the reflective strip?
I've noticed that loose in a couple spots, but it is only a cosmetic issue.