Over one million people die in road crashes every year. If you live in Florida, you know the Sunshine State is home to some of the most dangerous roads.
Lots of people live in and visit Florida but there’s very little road space, even in big cities such as Tampa.
Mix this with the constant construction and other interferences such as pedestrians, Florida roads and highways are some of the most dangerous in the U.S.
Which roads should drivers take most caution? Here are the most dangerous roads in Florida.
I-95
I-95 is a major highway that runs along the U.S. Atlantic Coast.
It’s estimated there are 300,000 vehicles on this road daily. The highway runs through 15 states.
The interstate runs 1,040 miles and a decent amount of this road is in Florida. Is there a specific area where drivers should be most cautious? The Miami and even Broward areas experience the most accidents.
Distracted driving is the most common reason for I-95 accidents. Never use your cell phone on this highway and try to enter your destination into your GPS before you start driving.
Florida Turnpike
The Florida Turnpike is a toll road that runs through 11 counties. It’s commonly known as the Ronald Reagan Turnpike and the Sunshine State Parkway.
The Turnpike starts at U.S. 1 in Miami and ends in Orlando. The Turnpike runs parallel to I-95 and is an option for drivers who want to avoid traffic and don’t mind paying tolls.
This doesn’t mean the Florida Turnpike is any safer. The heavy traffic from vacationers can cause slowdowns. There are also fast drivers, wrong-way drivers, and even road debris that cause accidents.
If you decide to drive on the Turnpike, it’s best to drive early — at least try and avoid traffic.
I-10
I-10 is the southernmost highway in the United States. It travels from Florida to California and runs through eight states.
I-10 doesn’t travel through Florida nearly as long as the other highways on this list. The easternmost part of the highway starts at Jacksonville and runs west to Pensacola before entering Alabama.
I-10 doesn’t only experience many accidents in Florida but throughout the stretch of the highway. That’s because the highway lacks median barriers, causing wrong-way traffic to collide into oncoming traffic.
I-4
I-4 is a major interstate that runs east and west. The westernmost point is in Tampa, where it merges with I-275 and the easternmost point is in Daytona, where it merges with I-95.
I-4 is the busiest interstate in the entire country. The interstate connects some of Florida’s biggest tourist cities: Orlando, Daytona, and Tampa. Because of this, drivers can expect heavy traffic and plenty of accidents.
There’s an area of I-4 nicknamed the “Dead Zone.” This is the halfway point between Orlando and Daytona, where the bridge passes over St. John’s River. The southern end of the bridge over the river is especially haunted.
One of the eastern lanes of the interstate was built over gravesites.
This area not only attracts the most accidents but also the most electrical outages and even lost cell phone signal. Some have even reported ghost sightings.
However, you can find devastating accidents throughout the stretch of highways. The most common reason for I-4 accidents is distracted driving.
State Road 436
S.R. 436, commonly known as Semoran Boulevard, is a major road in Orlando. It runs from Apopka to the Beachline Expressway, near the Orlando International Airport.
There are many reasons why this road attracts accidents. Drivers typically speed on S.R. 436. There are no medians. Some areas have as many as eight lanes of traffic!
Since there are many grocery stores, restaurants, and shops dotted along this road, many pedestrians cross this huge road.
Alton Road
Miami is a tourist hot spot in Florida. That’s why you have to be careful if you’re driving on Alton Road. You can find this major road in South Beach.
If you take your eyes off the road for a second, you can get in an accident. That’s because there are many other cars driving and pedestrians.
South beach traffic also tends to back up easily in this area.
Hillsborough Avenue
You’ll never see more car accidents in Tampa than you will on Hillsborough.
Hillsborough starts in Oldsmar and connects to Tampa Road. This major road runs to I-4 in East Lake-Orient Park. Hillsborough hosts some of Florida’s biggest landmarks, including the airport and Hard Rock Casino.
All of Hillsborough is dangerous but the most dangerous intersections include Hillsborough and Florida Avenue, Hillsborough and Nebraska Avenue, and Hillsborough and Dale Mabry.
Speaking of Dale Mabry…
Dale Mabry Highway
Right next to Hillsborough, Dale Mabry is another road that boasts the most traffic.
Dale Mabry has many landmarks including Raymond James Stadium and the International Mall. Since Dale Mabry connects to many major roads in Tampa, these intersections cause many accidents.
Other common causes of accidents on this road include speeding, pedestrians, and lack of signaling.
U.S. 19
U.S. 19 is an interstate that runs throughout the west part of the state. While the road runs through many states, it starts just below the Georgia border and ends at the southernmost part of St. Petersburg.
U.S. 19 attracts lots of traffic and many accidents occur on this road. The main cause of accidents is distracted driving. The large number of pedestrians is also a common cause of accidents.
Drive Safe On the Most Dangerous Roads in Florida
Florida is a state that attracts many residents and tourists. It’s no surprise that some of the most dangerous roads in the country are in Florida. From U.S. 19 to I-95, we hope all drivers are safe on the Florida roads.
While speeding is an issue in Florida, many drivers are administered speeding tickets even when they’re not speeding. Does this sound like you? Don’t fight your speeding ticket charges on your own. Contact us for a free ticket evaluation.