America’s most dangerous highways for summer travelers

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Summer is usually the perfect opportunity to go on a long drive with the windows down and the radio on.

With COVID-19 still surging in the United States many Americans are skipping summer vacations, especially those that require airline travel, and opting for road trips and outings closer to home.

That doesn’t mean taking a road trip doesn’t come with its own set of risks — peak travel season almost always comes with an increase in auto-accidents, especially on busy major highways.

Security research firm A Secure Life looked at three years of traffic data from The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to find the most dangerous highway in every state for summer travel.

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

A closer look at stand-out hazardous highways

Florida’s highway hazard numbers were a standout between the years conducted in the data collection. Ranking 21st in the largest area-based states, the summer months between 2015 and 2017 saw 440 traffic-related fatalities.

The I-10, a highway in Florida, holds the record for the most summer deaths between those three years at 160, and the I-95 also running through Florida had the most deaths in eight states.

Brooks Law Group found in a recent study that drugs and alcohol were responsible for 1,020 deaths in a recent year. In 2018 alone, there were 270 vehicle-related deaths on four major national highways that run through Florida: Interstate 75, Interstate 4, US 41 and US 47.

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

The speed limit plays a role in fatality risks

Texas holds the record for the highest national speed limits, with limits of up to 85 mph on some roads. In fact, 41 states have maximum speed limits of 70 mph or higher, with six of those having limits of 80 mph according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

With speed limits increasing annually for 30 years, IIHS found that speed limit increases of 5 mph have been associated with an 8% increase with interstate and highway-related deaths.

If you’re headed out on a road trip anytime soon, be sure to use extra caution on these highways.

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

Alabama

Deadliest highway: I-65

Fatalities: 83

Second deadliest highway: I-59

Fatalities: 48

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

Alaska

Deadliest highway: SR-1 Glenn Hwy.

Fatalities: 13

Second deadliest highway: SR-1 Seward Hwy.

Fatalities: 7

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

Arizona

Deadliest highway: I-10

Fatalities: 100

Second deadliest highway: I-40

Fatalities: 51

Image Credit: Davel5957/istockphoto.

Arkansas

Deadliest highway: I-40-33

Fatalities: 6

Second deadliest highway: I-555-080

Fatalities: 6

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

California

Deadliest highway: I-5

Fatalities: 192

Second deadliest highway: US-101

Fatalities: 139

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

Colorado

Deadliest highway: I-25

Fatalities: 60

Second deadliest highway: I-70

Fatalities: 51

Image Credit: haveseen / istockphoto.

Connecticut

Deadliest highway: US-6

Fatalities: 24

Second deadliest highway: I-95

Fatalities: 22

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

Delaware

Deadliest highway: SR-1 Coastal Hwy.

Fatalities: 8

Second deadliest highway: SR-24 Laurel Rd.

Fatalities: 5

Image Credit: istockphoto.

District of Columbia

Deadliest highway: Suitland Pkway. SE

Fatalities: 3

Second deadliest highway: Northbound Rock Creek Pkwy.

Fatalities: 2

Image Credit: dkfielding.

Florida

Deadliest highway: US-1

Fatalities: 160

Second deadliest highway: I-95

Fatalities: 158

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

Georgia

Deadliest highway: I-75

Fatalities: 111

Second deadliest highway: I-20

Fatalities: 55

Image Credit: Pixabay.com.

Hawaii

Deadliest highway: SR-93

Fatalities: 14

Second deadliest highway: SR-11

Fatalities: 11

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

Idaho

Deadliest highway: I-84

Fatalities: 45

Second deadliest highway: US-95

Fatalities: 42

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

Illinois

Deadliest highway: I-57

Fatalities: 39

Second deadliest highway: I-55

Fatalities: 37

Image Credit: benkrut / istockphoto.

Indiana

Deadliest highway: I-70

Fatalities: 17

Second deadliest highway: I-65

Fatalities: 15

Image Credit: f11photo.

Iowa

Deadliest highway: I-80

Fatalities: 26

Second deadliest highway: SR-2

Fatalities: 13

Image Credit: Maksymowicz / istockphoto.

Kansas

Deadliest highway: I-70

Fatalities: 35

Second deadliest highway: US-54

Fatalities: 24

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

Kentucky

Deadliest highway: US-27

Fatalities: 45

Second deadliest highway: US-60

Fatalities: 41

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

Louisiana

Deadliest highway: I-10

Fatalities: 70

Second deadliest highway: I-20

Fatalities: 33

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

Maine

Deadliest highway: I-95

Fatalities: 15

Second deadliest highway: US-201

Fatalities: 6

Image Credit: Mak_photo / istockphoto.

Maryland

Deadliest highway: I-95

Fatalities: 32

Second deadliest highway: US-1

Fatalities: 24

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

Massachusetts

Deadliest highway: I-495 N

Fatalities: 18

Second deadliest highway: I-495 S

Fatalities: 15

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

Michigan

Deadliest highway: I-94

Fatalities: 41

Second deadliest highway: I-75

Fatalities: 38

Image Credit: Bobak Ha’Eri/wikimedia.org.

Minnesota

Deadliest highway: US-169

Fatalities: 27

Second deadliest highway: I-94

Fatalities: 20

Image Credit: Willard / istockphoto.

Mississippi

Deadliest highway: I-55

Fatalities: 58

Second deadliest highway: US-49

Fatalities: 27

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

Missouri

Deadliest highway: I-70

Fatalities: 60

Second deadliest highway: I-44

Fatalities: 42

Image Credit: eyecrave.

Montana

Deadliest highway: I-90

Fatalities: 24

Second deadliest highway: US-2

Fatalities: 21

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

Nebraska

Deadliest highway: I-80

Fatalities: 42

Second deadliest highway: US-81

Fatalities: 16

Image Credit: wellesenterprises / istockphoto.

Nevada

Deadliest highway: I-15

Fatalities: 27

Second deadliest highway: I-80

Fatalities: 25

Image Credit: AlizadaStudios.

New Hampshire

Deadliest highway: I-93

Fatalities: 19

Second deadliest highway: SR-101

Fatalities: 8

Image Credit: Ultima_Gaina / istockphoto.

New Jersey

Deadliest highway: I-95

Fatalities: 27

Second deadliest highway: I-78

Fatalities: 18

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

New Mexico

Deadliest highway: I-25

Fatalities: 50

Second deadliest highway: I-40

Fatalities: 50

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

New York

Deadliest highway: I-90

Fatalities: 26

Second deadliest highway: I-81

Fatalities: 20

Image Credit: Frederic Prochasson.

North Carolina

Deadliest highway: I-40

Fatalities: 61

Second deadliest highway: I-85

Fatalities: 50

Image Credit: Sean Pavone / istockphoto.

North Dakota

Deadliest highway: I-94

Fatalities: 17

Second deadliest highway: US-2

Fatalities: 11

Image Credit: ChrisBoswell.

Ohio

Deadliest highway: I-71

Fatalities: 39

Second deadliest highway: I-75

Fatalities: 31

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

Oklahoma

Deadliest highway: I-44

Fatalities: 39

Second deadliest highway: I-40

Fatalities: 34

Image Credit: Tiago_Fernandez.

Oregon

Deadliest highway: I-5

Fatalities: 21

Second deadliest highway: I-84

Fatalities: 20

Image Credit: HaizhanZheng.

Pennsylvania

Deadliest highway: I-81 American Legion Memorial Hwy.

Fatalities: 28

Second deadliest highway: US-30 Lincoln Hwy.

Fatalities: 19

Image Credit: weaver1234.

Rhode Island

Deadliest highway: I-295 S

Fatalities: 7

Second deadliest highway: I-95 S

Fatalities: 6

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

South Carolina

Deadliest highway: US-17

Fatalities: 82

Second deadliest highway: I-26

Fatalities: 51

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

South Dakota

Deadliest highway: I-90 W

Fatalities: 18

Second deadliest highway: I-90 E

Fatalities: 10

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

Tennessee

Deadliest highway: I-40

Fatalities: 85

Second deadliest highway: I-24

Fatalities: 39

Image Credit: Dyersburg, Tennessee by Paul Sableman (CC BY).

Texas

Deadliest highway: I-10

Fatalities: 154

Second deadliest highway: I-20

Fatalities: 151

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

Utah

Deadliest highway: I-15

Fatalities: 51

Second deadliest highway: US-89

Fatalities: 31

Image Credit: ” 4kodiak”.

Vermont

Deadliest highway: US-7

Fatalities: 9

Second deadliest highway: SR-9

Fatalities: 8

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

Virginia

Deadliest highway: US-58

Fatalities: 45

Second deadliest highway: I-95

Fatalities: 44

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

Washington

Deadliest highway: I-5

Fatalities: 57

Second deadliest highway: I-90

Fatalities: 36

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

West Virginia

Deadliest highway: I-64

Fatalities: 26

Second deadliest highway: I-79

Fatalities: 22

Image Credit: ” Chayanisa Puttamata”.

Wisconsin

Deadliest highway: US-12

Fatalities: 20

Second deadliest highway: CR-A

Fatalities: 18

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

Wyoming

Deadliest highway: I-80

Fatalities: 39

Second deadliest highway: I-25

Fatalities: 16

This article was produced and syndicated by MediaFeed.org.

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

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