Florida roads to avoid this winter, according to new study

Summary

A new five-year analysis of federal crash data ranks Florida State Road 9 as the sixth deadliest road in the United States based on fatal crashes per mile. The study, which analyzed NHTSA fatality data, also identified multiple Florida highways among the most dangerous nationwide, highlighting ongoing road safety concerns tied to traffic volume, design, and enforcement.

A new study by Phillips Law Firm, personal injury attorneys, has identified the most dangerous roads in America based on fatal crashes per mile over a five-year period. 

The study analyzed deadly crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) over the most recent five-year data available, calculating the number of fatalities and fatal crashes per mile for highways across the country.

Florida's findings

In the study, Florida State Route 9 emerged as the nation's sixth deadliest road, reporting 4.46 fatal crashes per mile over the five-year period. The second deadliest road is the SR-858, with 3.5 fatal crashes per mile, followed by the SR-430 in third place with 3.28 fatal crashes per mile. 

Florida's SR-809 takes fourth place, while the SR-501 rounds out the top five.

A spokesperson for Phillips Law Firm commented on the findings: 

“Florida’s highways carry heavy volumes of both local commuter traffic and traffic from tourists, so it is almost unsurprising to see the state rank nationally with one of the country's deadliest roads.

"These findings reveal how road safety varies across America's highway system. Looking at the nationwide findings, the concentration of dangerous roads in specific states like Michigan and Florida suggests that factors such as road design, traffic volume, speed limits, and enforcement need reevaluation, as they may not be working."

The top 5 deadliest roads in Florida

Nationwide findings

Michigan State Route 3 emerged as the nation's deadliest road with 75.97 fatal crashes per mile over the five-year period, nearly four times more dangerous than any other American highway. California State Route 14 ranked second with 17.89 fatal crashes per mile, followed by Michigan State Route 96 with 16.91. 

Top 10 deadliest roads in America

Methodology: The most dangerous roads in the US were calculated and ranked using fatal crash data from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) over the years 2018-2022.

The number of fatalities and fatal crashes per road were summed, then divided by the road length to calculate fatalities per mile and fatal crashes per mile. Roads with less than 10 crashes over the last five years were not included. Roads found not to have a recorded length were also excluded.

Full data (top 50 most dangerous roads)

Key Points

• Florida State Road 9 ranks as the sixth deadliest road in the U.S.
• Four of the five most dangerous roads in Florida appear in the national top 50.
• Fatal crashes per mile were calculated using five years of NHTSA FARS data.
• Michigan State Route 3 ranked as the deadliest road nationwide by a wide margin.
• Researchers cite traffic volume, road design, and enforcement as contributing factors.