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Americans love their cars and the freedom they represent. Our ability to travel across the country or just next door is considered a God-given right for many.
However, with that freedom comes risk. And if statistics are correct, the risk is higher on many of our highways and interstates.
Fatalities are accumulating daily, with one organization putting facts together to name the most dangerous highway in the U.S.
What Is the Most Dangerous Highway in the US?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Interstate 4 in Florida is the most dangerous highway. To garner this dubious distinction, the organization factored in the highway’s length (in miles).
It also considered the number of highway fatalities for a year. From 2016 through 2019, Interstate 4 has had 150 deaths over its 132 miles of pavement.
That’s more than one person per mile (over four years). Most fatalities are attributed to motor vehicle collisions, overturned vehicles, and pedestrian-related accidents.
How Many Deaths Occur on I-4 Each Year?
Over the four years, the number of fatalities on Interstate 4 each year is about 38. The most dangerous time of travel has averaged out to be in March and on Sundays. Moreover, it’s usually between midnight and 1:00 a.m.
The NHTSA also gathered the information for all major highways across the country. With that, it was able to designate the Top 25 Most Dangerous Highways in the U.S. I-4 came out on top.
Every four years, they average the data for each. They allow regions to improve upon their outcomes by giving out important data. This includes knowing the most common time fatalities occur and what hazards may have played a part in those accidents.
Since 2011, several sections of the highway have been able to act upon the data received. That’s to improve roadway obstacles, driving and speeding habits, and highway design. That brings down the number of fatalities in their regions.
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What City on I-4 Has the Most Accidents?
Interstate 4 stretches across Florida from Tampa through Orlando to Daytona Beach on the Atlantic side of the state.
Within its 132 miles, Orlando has the highest number of fatal accidents within its jurisdiction. The number of tourist attractions in and around the city plays a part in this number.
As a result, these attractions usually bring thousands of drivers. Subsequently, the sheer volume of traffic becomes quite large.
What State Has the Most Dangerous Highways?
Look at the state with the most number of highways in the Top 25 Most Dangerous Highways list.
It appears that Texas has the highest numbers. Roads within the state’s boundaries that land on the roster include six different highways.
They run from Houston to Dallas and El Paso, and several places. Only the state of Florida is close to this sad statistic, with four highways on the list.
Texas, of course, is much larger than almost any other state, except Alaska. It only has four major interstate highways and a population of 700,000. Most of its road fatalities have occurred near big cities.
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What Are Some Other Dangerous Highways in America?
There are 13 states with highways on the Top 25 Most Dangerous Highways in the U.S. list. That includes California, Arizona, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee.
Roads to avoid in Texas are I-45 from Dallas to Galveston, Texas, and I-30 from Texas to Arkansas. Similarly, I-10, from Los Angeles, Calif. to Jacksonville, Fla., has its place on the list.
Additionally, I-20 from Scroggins Draw, Texas to Florence, S.C., and I-35 West from Hillsboro to Denton are also dangerous.
Dangerous Florida highways include Highway 192 from Four Corners to Indialantic, Fla., I-95 from Miami, Fla., to Houlton, Maine.
In the same vein, I-75 from Miami Lakes, Fla., to Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., and Highway 17 from Punta Gorda, Fla., to Winchester, Va., have seen fatalities.
Other dangerous highways are Interstate 12 from Baton Rouge to Slidell, La., Interstate 17 from Flagstaff to Phoenix, Ariz.; Interstate 19 from Nogales to Tucson, Ariz.; Interstate 85 from Montgomery, Ala., to Petersburg, Va.; and Interstate 5 from San Ysidro, Calif., to Blaine, Wash.
The bulk of these dangerous roads is part of our interstate highway system. Additionally, they carry extremely high numbers of vehicles each day.
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How to Avoid the Most Dangerous Highway in the US
The easiest way to avoid becoming a statistic on the most dangerous highways is to not travel on them.
On the other hand, that’s also unrealistic in a country obsessed with travel. The next best thing is to be alert and follow the signs and suggestions listed along each highway.
Drive defensively, and you should be able to help lower some of the records set on America’s most treacherous roadways.
I 17 from Flagstaff to Phoenix