As families get ready to hit the road for Memorial Day Weekend travel, Florida drivers would be wise to be extra careful behind the wheel.
A recent study published by Allen Law Firm found the Sunshine State poses considerable risks for weekend holiday travelers on road trips. The study analyzed National Highway Traffic Safety Administration fatal crash statistics between 2019 to 2024 during the Memorial Day Weekend stretch on federal and state highways.
Florida’s not the worst state. But it came in as the 18th-most deadly state during that period, according to the findings.
“Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and for many Americans, that means longer road trips, busier highways, and more time behind the wheel,” said Bill Allen, founding lawyer with the Allen Law Firm.
“While driver behavior is always a major factor in road safety, this data shows that risk is not evenly spread across the country.”
The ranking was based on fatalities per 1 million people. Florida had 4.43 road deaths per 1 million people in the state over the half-decade.
That’s more than 50% fewer than the state atop the ranking, Arkansas, which had 10.98 deaths per 1 million residents.
In terms of the raw number of recorded fatalities on roadways, Florida had more deaths on highways than any other state in the top 20, with 103. That’s more than double the next-closest states, with Ohio and Georgia each recording 50 road deaths during the holiday span. Arkansas recorded 34 fatalities.
The study also analyzed the most dangerous roadways in each state during Memorial Day Weekend. Interstate 75, which is a main pipeline for drivers between the Sunshine State and northern states, was the deadliest. There were eight Memorial Day Weekend fatalities during the study period on I-75. That’s tied with U.S. 41, running largely along the Gulf Coast.
U.S. 1 stretching along Florida’s Atlantic coast was third, with six fatalities. Interstate 95, U.S. 19 and U.S. 441 were all tied for fourth, with five fatalities each during the study period.
