Whether you live in Florida all year ’round, are one of the state’s many “snowbird” residents or simply love to visit the beaches and other amenities throughout the state when you take a vacation, chances are, while you’re here, you will either drive or ride in an automobile at some point. There are several stretches of roadway in certain counties that typically rank highest on lists showing collision statistics.
There’s always a risk involved with motor vehicle travel. However, if you know ahead of time that certain roads are more dangerous than others, it may help you improve safety. You could readjust your route to access a safer road or simply be especially alert and cautious if you know you must travel in an area that is a high risk for a collision.
These 5 counties contain the most dangerous roads
At the top of the list for most dangerous county roads throughout the state is Miami-Dade County. If you live or visit there, be aware that there were 876 fatal collisions in this area between 2017 and 2019.
You’ll want to be especially cautious if you travel on US-1, as this is the section of roadway where most of the fatal crashes occurred. Excessive speed, driving under the influence of alcohol and driver distraction were causal factors in many of the fatalities that occurred.
Broward, Hillsborough, Orange and Palm Beach counties are also in the top five most dangerous counties in Florida regarding fatal car accidents. Within the same 3-year time period, there were 88 fatalities on I-95, which passes through Broward and Palm Beach, 51 deaths on US-41 and 53 collisions resulting in death on SR-50.
Recovering from injuries in a Florida collision
Traveling on Florida roads not listed here doesn’t guarantee your safety, especially if there’s a sleepy, distracted, drunk or reckless driver nearby. You can adhere to traffic laws and employ the best possible safety measures while driving. However, there’s nothing you can do about someone else’s driving behavior.
If a collision has occurred that results in injuries to you or your loved one, the first priority is always to obtain medical attention. Not only can this help you access emergency treatment for injuries, but it also creates written documentation of the incident, which may come in handy later on, especially if you decide to seek restitution for damages in court, which state law allows whenever someone’s injuries were directly caused by another person’s negligence.