Website Calls Florida’s Interstates 95 and 4 Among the Deadliest in the Country

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on June 26, 2011

A website recently ranked the most dangerous highways in the United States and found that Interstate 95 and Interstate 4 ranked 1 and 3, respectively, as having the worst rates of deadly auto accidents. The Daily Beast may not sound like a credible source for information, but the site used information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for ranking. The site used five years of NHTSA data to determine their rankings, and they found that the 382 miles of I-95 running the length of our state was the most deadly for drivers and passengers.

The site based its findings on the number of fatal accidents rather than total fatalities, but Florida doesn’t fare well in that regard either. Our state consistently ranks third behind California and Texas for total number of people killed each year in auto accidents. According to the site’s findings, there were 662 fatal accidents on I-95 in Florida from 2004 to 2008, an average of 1.73 fatal crashes per mile. Over that same period of time, NHTSA data showed that there were 209 fatal crashes on the 132-mile stretch of I-4 for an average of 1.58 fatal accidents per mile.

Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman Sergeant Kim Montes viewed the site’s findings with a large grain of salt. She said, “You compare 95 in Florida with a road in North Dakota, and I think you’re comparing apples to oranges. I-95 is the busiest interstate in Florida and I-4 is likely the most congested interstate in Central and North Florida. Thousands of drivers navigate that drive every day and never crash. Unfortunately, the majority of our fatal crashes are driver error.”

She said that driving at excessive speeds is a major factor in fatal auto accidents. She added that some drivers drive more than 30 mph over the speed limit.
“Maybe they feel like they’re not doing anything wrong,” Montes said. “But unfortunately, when you look at a common denominator [in fatal crashes] … speed plays a factor.”

If you or a close family member has been injured in an auto accident in Central Florida and you would like to speak with an Orlando personal injury attorney, call Mr. Cunningham today at 888-425-2004 or 407-425-2000 to schedule a free consultation. He has been representing injured people since 1977 and has a proven record of success helping people receive the fair and just compensation they deserve. Call today to get his skills and experience on your side!

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.