I-95 has earned the distinction of “deadliest highway in Florida.” Locals frequently report incidents with dangerous or drunk drivers, and lack of state troopers patrolling the area. The statistics match up with the anecdotal evidence.
According to an investigation by the Sun Sentinel:
- Within the last five years, car accidents on I-95 increased by 41 percent, while state troopers wrote 38 percent fewer tickets on the roadway.
- More than a third of all fatal crashes on I-95 occurred within Florida over the last five years, even though 80 percent of the interstate is outside of Florida.
- There are fewer state troopers patrolling I-95 in 2020 than there were in 2000.
- Problems with the lack of troopers on the highway can be attributed to significant understaffing. In fact, Florida’s highway patrol is the most understaffed state patrol in America, and provides its troopers with compensation that ranks among the lowest in the nation.
- Some troopers who do still cover I-95 say parts of the highway have become so dangerous that it is a risk to their life to pull people over.
- The resulting lack of enforcement has caused a feeling among drivers on the highway that they can get away with just about anything on the roadway.
Be sure to read the entire study, linked above—it provides some fascinating insight into the conditions that have created an undoubtedly dangerous stretch of highway.
If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident on I-95 (or any other road in the state) caused by negligent or reckless drivers, contact an experienced Bradenton, FL auto accident attorney at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez & Walsh to seek legal representation in your accident claim.