While Florida was priased for safer roads during Summer driving, Labor Day deaths on highways were unusually high.
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As millions of Floridians hit the road for Labor Day Weekend, a new study finds the state has the best Summer driving safety record in the country.
But those risks increase ahead of the upcoming holiday.
The analysis conducted by Kuzyk Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers looked at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System crash records between 2020 and 2024. Researchers focused on the stretch ranging between Memorial Day and Labor Day for each year and established an “aggressive Summer driving scale” for states.
Florida scored the lowest, with a 9.27 out of 100. Florida was one of five states that registered zero road rage fatal incidents per 100,000 people. The state also had a low tally of fatal wrecks involving speeding during Summer months.
“Florida leads the nation as the safest state for Summer driving with an Aggressive Driving Score of just 9.27, a full 3.04 points below No. 2 Massachusetts (12.31). The state’s speeding (fatalities) rate of 0.65 per 100,000 is the lowest in the country, less than half the national average of 1.53,” the study found.
David Rosen, Chief Operating Officer of the law firm conducting the study, said the finding is notable given Florida’s population of about 22 million — a size that might suggest more, not less, deadly Summer travel.
“Florida’s speeding fatal crash rate of 0.65 per 100,000 is the lowest in the nation, less than half the national average, despite its massive population and status as a top summer travel destination. This demonstrates that population size alone does not determine per capita risk, and Florida’s result sets a benchmark that other large states can aspire to,” Rosen said.
The end of Summer leading in Labor Day is decidedly more dangerous for Florida drivers. The five-year period in the analysis showed there were 23 fatal crashes involving speeding on Memorial Day. Labor Day saw 37 fatal wrecks, a 60.9% higher mark than Memorial Day.
Labor Day is one of the major concerns for Summer driving, according to the study, “suggesting that end-of-Summer travel on the state’s highways carries a notably elevated speeding risk even in an otherwise low-risk driving environment.”
Massachusetts finished second in the country for safest Summer driving, followed by Nebraska in third, New Jersey in fourth and Rhode Island fifth. No other state from the Southeastern U.S. was listed among the top 10 safest states for driving in Summer.
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