The Florida Turnpike is the nation’s 3rd most traveled toll road. To some, it is part of their daily commute. For many that live in Broward, Miami-Dade or Palm Beach County; it is the preferred route when visiting Disney, Universal Studios and other popular Orlando destinations. Unfortunately, this popular toll road also has its fair share of car accidents.
Anyone who is familiar with driving on the Turnpike will agree that it is not the most scenic road. Looking at the same picture ahead of you while driving on lanes that seem they have no end, can bore a driver and put them into a mental state where they may pay less attention to the road. When this happens, the driver puts themselves and anyone else they are sharing the road with in danger of being involved in an accident. Unfortunately, accidents on the Florida Turnpike usually occur at high speeds. This increases the chances of the accident being fatal.
Although the number of car accidents that result in fatality has dramatically decreased on the Florida Turnpike in recent years – largely due to the installment of new guardrails along nearly 170 miles of Turnpike median – it is still the scene of an alarming number of deadly crashes each year. The Turnpike, running 312 miles from Florida City to Wildwood, sees an average of 75 – 100 fatal crashes annually. This number is significantly down from the 142 fatalities that occurred in the year before guardrails went in, but the Turnpike is still one of the most dangerous stretches of high-speed roadway in the state.
I-95 is another deadly highway – with an average of 1.7 traffic fatalities per mile throughout the state of Florida. Due to the high speed limits on both the Turnpike and Florida’s highways, people drive more aggressively than on smaller roadways, and regularly exceed 60 mph, making car accidents more likely to result in fatality. One of the most accident-prone sections of I-95 is that which passes through Broward County. Not only does this stretch see high traffic volumes, but drivers along the Miami-Dade/Broward stretch of the highway are often distracted by smart phones, GPS systems, and MP3/Video players provided by in-dash technology. These distractions can cause car accidents on any roadway, but the traffic congestion and high speeds along I-95 make them far more likely to cause devastating accidents, serious injuries, and fatalities.
On the Florida Turnpike, the Interstate, and state highways, traffic volume is a growing problem. Even multi-lane highways can become frustratingly congested, inciting more aggressive driving, abrupt lane changes, and road-rage incidents than ever before. Multiple lanes of traffic, fast-moving vehicles attempting to merge on and off of the roadways, and tourists unfamiliar with the roads may lead to many different car crash scenarios, including rollovers, multi-car pileups, and even wrong-way head-on collisions. High speeds, short tempers, and distracted driving can be a treacherous combination for automobile drivers, but the Turnpike and highways can be even deadlier for motorcyclists.
When high volumes of traffic are moving at high speeds, motorcycles are able to come to a stop more quickly than heavier vehicles. When a motorcycle must brake for a sudden slowdown ahead, the motorist behind him may not see him brake, or may not be able to stop quickly enough to avoid a collision. Deadlier impacts due to high speeds, and the lack of protection on a motorcycle, can lead to devastating injuries.
If you or a loved one have been involved in a vehicle collision on the Florida Turnpike and still have questions, you can speak to one of our accident attorneys and they will gladly answer them at no cost.