These are the deadliest roads in Florida

Despite car crash fatalities nearing prepandemic levels in Florida, deadly driving remains a problem throughout parts of the state. Often, car crash deaths on roads in large counties and cities have gone up. Many drivers seek out an extended car warranty to keep their vehicle in the safest condition possible.

Florida’s population growth has brought a focus to traffic safety, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Transportation told ConsumerAffairs. The state is investing $60 million in rumble strips to alert drivers to slow down or stop, $45 million in wrong-way detection systems and $100 million in intersection lighting, among other initiatives. Still, traffic deaths largely come down to bad or impaired driving.

“Unfortunately, 94% of serious crashes involve human error as a contributing factor, such as distracted and impaired driving,” the spokesperson said.

ConsumerAffairs investigated data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) in Florida from 2020 to 2022 to understand where fatal accidents happen and the factors that contribute to them. We also compared the most recent data to prepandemic numbers from 2018. The data on 2022’s traffic deaths, which includes pedestrians and bicyclists, came out in the spring of 2024.

The 10 deadliest roads in Florida since 2020

Florida’s U.S., state and interstate highways are where deadly crashes are the most common, accounting for a combined 69% of car crash deaths from 2020 to 2022. The next two most common sites for traffic deaths were local streets (19%) and county roads (11%).

U.S. Route 1 holds the top spot for traffic deaths since 2020, with 394 deaths. It’s followed by Interstate 95, with 346 deaths, and U.S. Route 41, with 297 deaths. The top 10 most dangerous roads, which are all highways, accounted for around 23% of all the state’s car crash fatalities. By mile, I-95 ranked first, with 0.9 deaths per mile since 2020. It’s followed by U.S. Route 19, with 0.8 deaths per mile, and U.S. Route 1, with 0.7 deaths per mile.

The state's roads can be broken down further by examining stretches within county borders. U.S. Route 19 in Pinellas County ranks as the deadliest, with 94 deaths since 2020. It’s followed by U.S. Route 19 in Pasco County, with 68 deaths, and Interstate 95 in Broward County, with 62 deaths.

The number of deaths on these roads hasn't changed dramatically since the pandemic. Five of the 10 deadliest roads by county have seen their car crash fatalities rise in 2022 from prepandemic levels in 2018. Deaths stayed the same on three of the roads and fell on two.

Drinking, distracted driving and speeding are the strongest factors influencing fatal crashes. Among Florida’s 10 deadliest roads by county, U.S. Route 41 in Lee County ranks highest for crashes in which a driver had a positive blood alcohol test, at 25% of fatalities. For distracted driving, State Road 50 ranks highest, at 21%. U.S. Route 41 in Lee County saw the highest percentage of crashes involving drivers exceeding the speed limit, at 14%.

Take a look at the 10 deadliest roads by county since 2020 and the contributing factors below.

1. U.S. Route 19 in Pinellas County

• Fatalities: 94
• Fatalities with drinking: 12 (13%)
• Fatalities with distracted driving: 7 (7%)
• Fatalities with speeding: 4 (4%)

2. U.S. Route 19 in Pasco County

• Fatalities: 68
• Fatalities with drinking: 11 (16%)
• Fatalities with distracted driving: 8 (12%)
• Fatalities with speeding: 4 (6%)

3. Interstate 95 in Broward County

• Fatalities: 62
• Fatalities with drinking: 10 (16%)
• Fatalities with distracted driving: 3 (5%)
• Fatalities with speeding: 3 (5%)

4. State Road 50 in Orange County

• Fatalities: 61
• Fatalities with drinking: 9 (15%)
• Fatalities with distracted driving: 13 (21%)
• Fatalities with speeding: 6 (10%)

5. U.S. Route 1 in Brevard County

• Fatalities: 60
• Fatalities with drinking: 8 (13%)
• Fatalities with distracted driving: 5 (8%)
• Fatalities with speeding: 3 (5%)

6. U.S. Route 41 in Hillsborough County

• Fatalities: 59
• Fatalities with drinking: 11 (19%)
• Fatalities with distracted driving: 7 (12%)
• Fatalities with speeding: 6 (10%)

7. U.S. Route 41 in Lee County

• Fatalities: 59
• Fatalities with drinking: 15 (25%)
• Fatalities with distracted driving: 4 (7%)
• Fatalities with speeding: 8 (14%)

8. Interstate 95 in Palm Beach County

• Fatalities: 56
• Fatalities with drinking: 7 (13%)
• Fatalities with distracted driving: 5 (9%)
• Fatalities with speeding: 4 (7%)

9. U.S. Route 1 in Miami-Dade County

• Fatalities: 49
• Fatalities with drinking: 3 (6%)
• Fatalities with distracted driving: 0
• Fatalities with speeding: 0

10. U.S. Route 90 in Duval County

• Fatalities: 48
• Fatalities with drinking: 10 (21%)
• Fatalities with distracted driving: 2 (4%)
• Fatalities with speeding: 2 (4%)

You can find the deadliest road in your county via the searchable table below.

Excluding highways, where the majority of fatal crashes occur, Sheridan Street in Broward County ranks the highest among local roads, with 12 deaths from 2020 to 2022. It is followed by 45th Street and Jog Road in Palm Beach County, with nine deaths each.

Six of the top 12 deadliest roads were tied with six deaths; these are located in Palm Beach, Broward, Volusia and Miami-Dade counties. Four of the 12 deadliest local roads were in Palm Beach County, followed by three in Broward County and two in Miami-Dade County.

You can find the deadliest local road in your county via the searchable table below.

Florida’s worst counties and cities for traffic deaths since 2020

Eight of Florida’s 10 most populous counties have seen the frequency of traffic deaths rise from prepandemic levels. Polk County takes the top spot, with 23 car crash deaths per 100,000 licensed drivers in 2022. It’s followed by Lee County and Duval County, with nearly 22 and 20 deaths per 100,000 drivers, respectively. On average, the 10 most populous counties experienced 18 traffic deaths per 100,000 drivers in 2022.

“This is harrowing data and one that has not passed us by without much angst and discussion,” Trish Pfeiffer, chairperson of the Polk Transportation Planning Organization and the mayor of Bartow, told ConsumerAffairs. She said traffic in Polk County has grown over the past decade and the county is making investments in road safety, including a $720,000 federal grant that will go to sidewalks, crosswalks and other areas.

Seven of Florida’s 10 most populous cities saw their rate of traffic deaths rise from prepandemic levels. Fort Lauderdale ranks worst by far and has seen a sharp uptick in car crash deaths, growing to nearly 30 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022 from around 21 deaths in 2018.

Traffic deaths in the city are happening most often on state roads, “which were designed and constructed decades ago with the main focus of moving vehicles,” Milos Majstorovic, the city’s acting director of transportation and mobility, told ConsumerAffairs.

“The city is actively working with FDOT and county officials on safety evaluations of the main corridors and treatments that would yield to improving safety scores,” he said.

Tampa and Orlando follow Fort Lauderdale, with about 17 and 16 car crash deaths per 100,000 people, respectively. The average among the 10 most populous cities was about 14 car crash deaths per 100,000 people in 2022.

Fatal drinking, speeding and distracted driving in Florida since 2020

More than a third of deaths from car crashes in Florida since 2020 have involved drinking, speeding or distracted driving. These dangerous behaviors are much more common in some of Florida’s counties.

Around 18% of car crash deaths in Florida involved a driver with a positive blood alcohol test from 2020 to 2022. Out of the state’s 67 counties, 43 had higher percentages, including Okeechobee County, with 42%; Gadsden County, with nearly 38%; and Suwannee County, with nearly 36%.

Since 2020, speeding has been involved in around 10% of deaths from car crashes in Florida. Twenty-six counties exceeded that figure, including Gadsden County, with around 22%; Hendry County, with 17%; and Hillsborough County, with nearly 17%.

Distracted driving has been involved in about 8% of car crash deaths in Florida since 2020. Thirty-four counties exceeded that share, including Osceola County, with about 24%, and Lake County and Okaloosa County, both with around 19%.

How time and weather influences Florida’s deadly car crashes

Deadly driving is more common during certain hours, days of the week and months of the year. By hour, 37% of traffic deaths since 2020 happened between the evening hours of 6 p.m. and midnight. Deaths were less frequent in the early hours of 6 a.m. to noon, accounting for 17% of fatalities.

Traffic fatalities by the day have been fairly consistent during the week in Florida, but they spike during the weekends. Nearly half of car crash deaths in Florida have occurred on Friday, Saturday or Sunday since 2020. The highest number of deaths, about 18%, have occurred on Saturday.

Traffic deaths by month have also been fairly consistent in Florida, though there has been some variation. The most traffic-related deaths since 2020 have occurred during March and December, while the fewest deaths have happened during July and June.

Florida is known for its good weather, which shows in its fatality numbers. Around 78% of car crash deaths happened on days with clear skies, followed by 15% on cloudy days and 6% during rainy days.

Tips for driving safely on Florida’s roads

Traffic safety experts say there are simple steps you can take to stay safe while driving. These include the following:

• Adhere to the speed limit.
• Slow your vehicle at intersections.
• Watch for pedestrians at crosswalks and unmarked corners. Be prepared to stop and allow pedestrians to cross.
• Be extra cautious in less-than-ideal driving conditions, such as dark, foggy or rainy weather.
• Respect bicyclists and provide them ample space when passing.
• If there is not enough space to pass a bicyclist, be patient and wait until it’s safe to do so.
• Never drive impaired. Have a game plan before consuming alcohol or engaging in behavior that may impair your ability to drive. This includes consuming drugs such as cannabis, prescription drugs or over-the-counter medications. Do your research and understand how certain drugs may affect you. Designate a sober driver, employ a ride-hailing service, or use public transit.
• Silence your phone and avoid distractions. Put your device on “Do Not Disturb” mode. An iPhone's “Driving Focus” feature allows you to set your phone to silent when the car is moving. It can even send an automated message to someone trying to contact you that you are driving.

Methodology

ConsumerAffairs investigated data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and examined fatal car crash data in Florida from 2018 to 2022. To expand the sample size and reduce the margin of error, we combined data from 2020 to 2022 but not from previous years due to structural differences in the data.

We looked at all 67 counties in Florida and summarized data to identify the deadliest road in each. When population size permitted, we ranked counties and cities per 100,000 licensed drivers or people. Additionally, we examined percentages of deaths in relationship to factors including alcohol, speeding, distracted driving, time and weather.

For questions about the data or if you'd like to arrange an interview, please contact acurls@consumeraffairs.com.

References

ConsumerAffairs writers primarily rely on government data, industry experts and original research from other reputable publications to inform their work. Specific sources for this article include:

1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “NHTSA File Downloads.” Accessed June 24, 2024.Link Here
2. U.S. Census Bureau, “State Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2023.” Accessed June 24, 2024.Link Here
3. U.S. Census Bureau, “State Population Totals and Components of Change: 2010-2019.” Accessed June 24, 2024.Link Here
4. U.S. Census Bureau, “County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2023.” Accessed June 24, 2024.Link Here
5. Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, “Driver and Vehicle Reports & Statistics.” Accessed July 2, 2024.Link Here