The Sunshine State is home to beautiful scenic stretches of roadway. But with more tourists visiting than almost any other state and many densely populated cities, it’s also home to many dangerous stretches of roadways. With nearly 350,000 roadway accidents each year in Florida, driving can be quite dangerous.
Knowing the areas that are the most perilous can help you be more aware and drive more defensively to avoid a collision.
What Makes Florida So Dangerous for Drivers?
In 2022, there were 3,489 traffic fatalities in the state – this averages out to around almost 10 every single day.
Tourists could contribute to the higher number of collisions; drivers unfamiliar with the roads may be paying more attention to the GPS on their phones or looking out the windows than looking at the road.
Another reason Florida is so dangerous is the sheer number of drivers. It has more licensed drivers than any other state; the more drivers, the more chances someone will be negligent and cause a wreck.
Florida’s Most Dangerous Highways
Several of the ten most dangerous stretches of highway in the U.S. are in Florida, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). Many of the most dangerous lengths of road are also in one of Florida's most populous counties:
- Miami-Dade County
- Orange County
- Broward County
Traveling through here can be hazardous, especially since these counties are also hot tourist destinations.
Interstate 4
I-4 is sometimes called the “Haunted Highway,” stretching from Tampa to Daytona Beach. The most dangerous section of I-4 is about 132 miles long and is also one of the country's busiest segments of interstate highway.
The section of I-4 between Orlando and Lakeland is especially dangerous, with one fatality per mile each year from 2016 to 2019.
US Highway 1
US 1 reaches from Key West through Florida and into Georgia, 545 miles of dangerous roadway. Between 2015 and 2019, there were 544 deadly collisions on the road, leading to 584 deaths. US 1 goes through Miami-Dade and Broward counties, both among the most densely populated in the state, so traffic is almost always heavy.
Interstate 10
Interstate 10 is one of the longest highways in the country, spanning 2,460 miles and crossing eight states.
A major contributing factor to the high number of fatal crashes on this road is the lack of safety measures on this highway, like a dividing median or barriers to prevent cross-over accidents. Crossover drifting into oncoming traffic often causes head-on collisions, the most likely type of crash to be fatal.
Interstate 75
I-75 stretches from Michigan to Florida, nearly 500 miles of heavily traveled roadway. It’s a major shipping corridor, too, which increases the chances of a deadly commercial semi-truck collision. It’s highly congested, and sections are frequently under construction.
The NHTSA estimates that I-75 is most dangerous in the summer, as it’s more heavily traveled between June and August, with an average of 44 fatalities per 100 miles of road.
Interstate 95
The scenic Atlantic Coast Highway stretches along the coast from the Florida Keys into Georgia, and the NHTSA reported 158 fatalities on I-95 during the summer of 2020.
Stay Safe on Florida Roadways
Driving defensively and knowing where a highway is more likely to be congested or full of tourists can help you reduce your chances of being in a collision, but sometimes, the behavior of other drivers is out of your hands.
When the unthinkable happens, and you’re hit by another driver, a Tampa car accident lawyer can help.
Contact the Tampa Car Accident Law Firm of Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers for Help Today
For more information, please contact the legal team of Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers for a free initial consultation with a car accident lawyer in Tampa. We have convenient locations in Florida: St. Petersburg, Safety Harbor, Clearwater, New Port Richey, and Tampa.
We serve throughout Pinellas County, Hillsborough County, Pasco County, and its surrounding areas:
Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers - Clearwater Office
1811 N. Belcher Road, Suite I-1
Clearwater, FL 33765
(727) 787-2500
Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers - Congress Ave Office
2360 Congress Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33763
(727) 591-5610
Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers - Tampa Office
6601 Memorial Hwy Suite 202
Tampa, FL 33615
(813) 686-7588
Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers - New Port Richey Office
2515 Seven Springs Blvd.
New Port Richey, FL, 34655
(727) 815-8442
Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers - St. Petersburg Law Office
840 Beach Dr NE Suite 202
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 787-2500
Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers - Safety Harbor Law Office
202 9th Ave S Suite A-2
Safety Harbor, FL 34695
(727) 787-2500
