Now that summer is finally here, many people are eagerly counting down the days until they get to leave on their long-awaited and meticulously-planned vacations. For some, these vacations will mean hopping on a plane and for others it will mean getting behind the wheel for a long road trip.
While some will simply drive to somewhere right here in Florida, others are perhaps a bit more ambitious and will drive to more remote destinations. Indeed, those planning to drive anywhere along the East Coast will likely hop on Interstate 95, which traverses 15 states.
However, those drivers planning a trip on I-95 may want to give some serious consideration to recently released statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which show that the deadliest stretch of this entire interstate is located right here in Florida.
As disconcerting as this is, consider also that these statistics reveal that the fatality rate along Florida’s stretch of I-95 is also the highest of any road in the entire nation.
Specifically, the NHTSA data reveals that the majority of these fatal crashes are centered in and around the northeast section of the Sunshine State with 1,713 reported motor vehicle accidents occurring between the Flagler-Volusia county line and the Florida-Georgia line from April 2014 to April 2015.
Here, 573 of these crashes involved serious personal injuries to vehicle occupants, while another 18 crashes involved the loss of 25 lives.
Why then is the fatality rate so high on I-95?
According to troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol, the answer is most likely that drivers are continuing to discount the dangers posed by speeding, distracted driving, drunk driving, tailgating and other negligent actions behind the wheel.
Indeed, they argue that most of these serious car crashes could be avoided if drivers would just obey the speed limit, drive sober, leave adequate following distance behind the car in front of them and, of course, keep their smartphones turned off.
Here’s hoping we start to see these truly horrific accident figures for I-95 start to trend downward …
If you’ve been seriously injured or lost a loved one in a motor vehicle accident caused by the reckless actions of another driver, please consider speaking with an experienced legal professional as soon as possible to learn more your options for seeking justice.