Every state has roads known by locals to be especially dangerous or to have higher rates of serious collisions than other roads. While some Floridians may take care to avoid certain roads or highways, though, they may not realize that our state is actually home to the two most deadly highways in the United States.
According to a recent study released by the Auto Insurance Center and cited by the Palm Beach Post, the two highways with the highest rates of fatal accidents in the nation are in Florida. This data was gathered from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
This study shows that the deadliest highway in the United States in 2014 was Interstate 10, which begins in Santa Monica, California and ends in Jacksonville. That year, 278 deaths occurred on this road due to auto accidents. The second most deadly highway in the U.S. was documented as Interstate 95, on which 204 fatalities were reported in 2014.
Not only did this study shed light on the roads in the United States where fatal crashes occur most frequently, but it also shows that the months in which deadly car accidents are most likely to occur are July and August. Additionally, the days of the week when fatal accidents are most likely are Fridays and Saturdays, in part because of higher levels of traffic and in part because of the increased risk of drunk driving. Overall, this report says that the “riskiest” day to be on the road is right around the corner—July 4.
Though the fact that Florida is home to the two deadliest highways in the nation may be startling to many, the truth is that both of these roads are multi-state highways which only pass through our state. In fact, when compared to the rest of the nation, Florida has a relatively low rate of auto accident fatalities—in part of a safer road system and infrastructure. Still, these statistics should help draw attention to the fact that car accidents are still a serious threat to driver and passenger safety, with roughly one person dying in a car crash in this country every 16 minutes.
Since Florida is a vacation mecca for many during the hot summer months (when fatal auto accidents are most likely and when vacationers may be more likely to be driving under the influence), it is vitally important that Floridians and travelers to our state remain vigilant when it comes to road safety and the use of seat belts—not only during peak seasons, but all year long. As personal injury lawyers who have been representing the victims of car accidents in Florida for many years, we have seen the catastrophic damage that can result from auto accidents and we know that one wrong choice or careless move could affect multiple people for the rest of their lives. Please, make it your goal to stay safe on our roads. If you or someone you love has had the misfortune to suffer injury or even wrongful death in a car accident, we invite you to contact us for a free legal consultation with an experienced attorney.
