FLORIDA INTERSTATE AND INTERCHANGE ACCIDENTS
Car accidents happen on I-95 for several reasons. Road debris, highway construction areas, and improper lane changes are just some of the everyday obstacles drivers on I-95 can face. Still, with all the distractions that there are on I-95, there is nothing more confusing than the sections where highways meet. With interstate highway 95 covering the majority of Florida’s Eastern seaboard, there are several highway interchanges to confuse drivers and cause car accidents.
Jacksonville car accidents happen often when I-95 meets I-10 and In the Fort Pierce area, I-95 meets the Florida Turnpike. Now even though these interchanges do have accidents, nothing comes close to the much more congested interchanges in Broward and Miami-Dade.
BROWARD I-95 INTERCHANGE
In Broward County, there always seems to be an accident where I-95 meets Highway 595 by the Ft. Lauderdale Airport. Another interchange that is prone to accidents but is simply a ramp is the I-95 exit for State Road 84. This I-95 exit is radically different than any other exit on 95. It is a multi-level exit with straight off-ramps and hairpin turns. If a driver is exiting I-95 too fast, they may lose control of their vehicle making the sharp left or right turn onto State Road 84. The irregular layout with all of the median dividers, signs, signals and barrier walls make this a very dangerous exit on I-95 for Broward County drivers. In fact, there have been five car accident fatalities on this highway exit since 2007. These accidents have included cars, trucks, and motorcycles.
MIAMI GOLDEN GLADES INTERCHANGE
Miami has the Golden Glades Interchange. This is one of Florida’s most confusing highway interchange. The Golden Glades interchange is like a perfect storm of bad road conditions to cause an accident. It is 200 acres of tangled highways. At an estimated 400,000 drivers a day, the Golden Glades Interchange is Florida’s busiest junction. This is the meeting point for Interstate 95, the Florida Turnpike and the Palmetto Expressway. Opened in 1954, this confusing interchange has a lack of signs, poor road conditions and literally has cars going in circles – even through what seems to a graveled side road at one point.
FACTORS THAT CAUSE CONFUSION AND LEAD TO CAR ACCIDENTS ON FLORIDA HIGHWAYS
- Change of pace: As you drive on a highway, you get accustomed to the number of cars you are sharing the road with and the speed everyone is traveling at. When merging on to another highway, you are also merging into a different driving environment. People may be driving faster or slower. You may find yourself surrounded by large semi-trucks or buses.
- Road condition change: Another adjustment might be the road conditions. You may be going from a smooth highway with clear road paint to an older road where there may be constructed and it is difficult to tell if you are even staying in your lane.
- Design change: Like the State Road 84 exit in Broward, not all ramps are the same. Highways can sometimes have a different design layout for their on-ramps, off-ramps, and roads in general. Most people will agree that driving on the turnpike and driving on I-95 are two very different experiences.
CONTACT A CAR ACCIDENT ATTORNEY
If you or someone you love has been involved in an accident on a highway interchange, then please contact our Ft. Lauderdale Car Accident Attorneys for a free consultation and start getting answers to your questions today. Our injury attorneys handle cases throughout the State of Florida.