Florida’s I-95 Named “Deadliest Highway” in the Nation
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the 382 miles of Florida's Interstate 95 is the deadliest stretch of highway in the nation. Statistically, from 2004 to 2008, the NHTSA calculated 1.73 deaths per mile. These alarming numbers are causing I-95 motorists and researchers to pause and note the hazards of this dangerous but essential highway.
Earlier this year, a large part of I-95 in Boca Raton was shut down after a semi-trailer-truck ran over and killed a pedestrian. Last month, two auto wrecks on the infamous highway sent three people to the hospital after a vehicle crashed into a parked tow truck. And a 22-year-old North Palm Beach woman was on this road last month in a six-vehicle car crash.
Unfortunately, these types of motor vehicle accidents on I-95 happen all too often. It's no wonder why the NHTSA has named this 1,925 mile stretch the deadliest highway in the nation.
Some tribute the road's dangerous standing to the lack of guardrails along the medians. Joe Evans, 48, of Stuart, commutes on one of the most accident-prone sections of the highway. He recently told the TCPalm that "motorists are always cutting the bigger vehicles off, and the bigger vehicles have nowhere to go, so they crowd the other vehicles right off the road."
Others say the drivers themselves are responsible for the alarming number of motor vehicle accidents on I-95. Iris Cruz, 40, of Port St. Lucie, told the TCPalm, "People drive too aggressively and too fast." Others blame distractions like texting while driving.
The Florida Department of Transportation says the large volume of traffic on I-95 is a significant problem. Fitting too many drivers onto one expressway, even up to 10 or 12 lanes wide in some cases, magnifies the risk of accidents.
I-76 in New Jersey came in second place and I-4 (another Florida interstate) ranked third in the list of the nation's deadliest highways.
If you were injured or a family member was injured or killed on Interstate 95, contact an experienced Florida car accident attorney.
