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In late September, we published a blog in which we detailed how, and by what metrics, Florida’s drivers have been labeled the nation’s “worst.” In this post, our personal injury team at Aronberg & Aronberg issues a follow-up—we will explore how and why the highways in the Sunshine State are the most dangerous in the country. Florida’s Highways – Nation’s Deadliest!
Let’s start with US-1. Earlier this year, as our Delray Beach accident attorneys know, a new study published by Geotab ranked the Florida stretch of “U.S. 1”—known in various counties by names such as Federal Highway, Biscayne Blvd., Dixie Highway, etc.—the most dangerous highway in the United States. According to the study, the “Florida section of … US-1 saw the most fatal crashes for any highway in any state in the last 10 years: over 1,000!”. It matters not whether one defines “most dangerous” by highest number of fatal crash rate, most number of crashes, or most fatalities—Florida’s US-1 stretch holds first place in each category.
Geotab calculates the most dangerous highway in each state by considering the yearly number of road deaths and fatal crashes, as reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and adjusts that number for average daily traffic counts as reported by the Federal Highway Administration (FHA). As our driving accident attorneys at Aronberg & Aronberg understand, based on the Geotab study, other dangerous highways rounding out the top 3 include the stretches of I-40 in both Tennessee and New Mexico (based on both “most crashes” and “most fatalities”) as well as the lengths of I-83 in Texas and I-40 in California (based on “fatal crash rate”).
Floridians know how dangerous US-1 can be, but we also know the perils of I-95, the interstate highway which runs up and down the coastline, from the southern tip of Florida up through Maine. Although I-95 passes through more states than any other interstate highway system (at 15), its most dangerous corridor is—not surprisingly—in Florida. Specifically, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report, in Miami-Dade County, “more people died in crashes on I-95 in 2015 than any other county along the interstate.” In numbers, that means that in 2015, 14 fatal crashes occurred on the stretch of I-95 running through Miami-Dade. In terms of percentages, given that 4,000 fatal crashes occurred on all interstates in 2015, that means that Miami-Dade County has a fatal accident rate, per mile of roadway, which is nearly eight times the rate of all interstates.
So, what contributes to the deadly dangers posed by I-95 (and other highways) in South Florida? According to the Wall Street Journal report, transportation experts “say construction activity, distracted driving, and aggressive driving all play a role” in the higher number of accidents. The study also blames heightened congestion for exacerbating problems of driver inattentiveness and impatience. As for the issue of congestion, one possible (partial) fix may be the implementation of the upcoming high-speed train line known as Brightline. Within the next year, as our accident attorneys understand, the company says that we should expect trains between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale (which will take 30 minutes) and then between Fort Lauderdale and Downtown Miami (which will take 30 minutes as well), or, between West Palm Beach and Downtown Miami (which will take an hour). Many hope that the high-speed rail will grow in popularity, moving more commuters off the roadways and into seats on the train.
If you have any questions about this post, or if you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, please contact our dedicated personal injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Aronberg & Aronberg. To schedule your free consultation, please call us at 561-266-9191 or e-mail us at daronberg@build.simple.biz. With offices in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Plantation, and Wellington, we are here to help.
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