As reported by The Daily Beast website, the Florida stretch of Interstate 95 is the deadliest interstate in the country based on data analyzed from 2004 through 2008. Interstate 4 ranked third in the study.
Because of this study, a few mental alarms should be going off. Florida has two of the most deadly interstate highways in the entire country and should be a warning to Florida drivers. The study utilized data maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The administration took the number of fatal accidents and divided by the number of interstate miles within the state.
According to the analysis, I-95 had 662 fatal accidents, and that equates to 1.73 fatal crashes per mile. Interstate 4 (I4) had 209 fatal crashes on the 132-mile stretch. That equates to 1.58 fatal accidents per mile. The Orlando Sentinel reported that a spokesperson for the Florida Highway Patrol was critical of the data because of the methodology used. It did not account for the higher volume of traffic on our interstate highways compared with other states.
As the FHP spokesperson stated, “You compare 95 in Florida with a road in North Dakota, and I think you’re comparing apples to oranges”. “Thousands of drivers navigate that drive every day and never crash,” she said. “Unfortunately, the majority of our fatal crashes are driver error.”
Once again, this study serves as a warning for Florida drivers because this high number of fatalities occurs on roads most of us travel every day. We must heed the warning to slow down, obey traffic laws, and watch out for other motorists. These fatalities certainly left behind grief-stricken family members and friends. At C. Todd Smith Law, I’ve represented many victims in these types of auto accidents on I-4 and I-95.
High speeds on our interstate highways can be deadly. Take extra care this summer to protect yourself and your family.
For safe driving tips to help you avoid an accident, view these traffic tips provided by the Florida Safety Council.
