FROM THE LEFT LANE (Article 4) – I-95
HOW’S THIS FOR DANGEROUS – WE WIN!
An Internet report based on national fatality numbers calls Interstate 95 in Florida the most dangerous superhighway in the country!!
State statistics suggest that south the busy south Florida has surprisingly deadly stretches.
The Daily Beast singled out I-95 in Florida as America’s deadliest interstate, based on numbers from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. From 2004 to 2008, the government said, there were 662 fatal accidents and 765 deaths on the 382-mile roadway, an average of 1.73 accidents every mile.
Wherever the numbers come from, I-95 would still be one of the most dangerous roads in the country. But the real danger appears to be in South Florida, with counties like Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach having more fatalities than the remainder of the highway heading north..
Palm Beach County had many more accidents and fatalities — 2.78 crashes per mile — although it has only about 45 miles of interstate. Florida Department of Transportation safety engineer Benjamin Jacobs said higher traffic counts in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach are the logical reason for the higher fatality rate. No KIDDING!
Lt. Bill Leeper of the Florida Highway Patrol said the number of people killed on Florida’s interstates goes back to the way people drive. “In a large number of these cases,” Leeper said, “there is something under the driver’s control that contributed to the crash or injury. Speeding, not wearing a seat belt, driving while intoxicated or high on drugs are some of the mistakes drivers routinely make, Leeper said.
Interstate 95 “is as safe as any other if you drive appropriately,” he said. Kimberly Barnes is no longer easily convinced of that. Barnes almost became a 2010 fatality in May when she lost control of her car while driving on I-95 northbound at 40-45 mph and slammed into the concrete barrier. No one was injured in the crash, which occurred when an 18-wheel truck switched lanes in front of Barnes, forcing her to hit the brakes during a heavy rain..
“I have always been scared of I-95,” Barnes said. “But I have to drive on it to get to work and back home.”
Where the cars are:
Average minimum and maximum daily traffic counts on Interstate 95 in Florida:
South:
Palm Beach: 87,000-195,000
Broward: 190,000-306,000
Miami-Dade: 171,000-251,000
Martin: 48,000-67,500
North:
Nassau: 49,500-60,500
Duval: 56,500-172,000
St. Johns: 48,000-73,000
Flagler: 46,000-66,000
Volusia: 37,500-80,000
Brevard: 28,000-80,000
Indian River: 35,000-36,000
St. Lucie: 36,000-54,000
If you are involved in an accident, it is best to consult an attorney with substantial experience. There are so many different circumstances that a proper answer to your particular problem can only be obtained by a trained and experienced lawyer.
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