Labor Day weekend is one of the most dangerous times on the roads in the United States, ranking behind Independence Day as the second most deadly holiday for drivers. In 2023, 511 people died in crash crashes. This is up from 496 the previous year, with 36% of these accidents including drunk drivers.
Safety experts are urging caution as Floridians and visitors head out for holidays, cooking and celebrations. The combination of busy highways and increased alcohol consumption creates a particularly dangerous travel environment.
Munley Law’s new analysis highlights where states stand in regards to road safety. The company’s research into the safest and most dangerous states driving this Labor Day uses the latest data from the NHTSA, FBI and the Census Bureau, ranking all 50 states and the Columbia district in seven categories, including traffic lethality, DUI arrests, speeding-related accidents and pedestrian deaths.
Important Florida findings:
If car traffic per 100,000 people die (2024): 13.64 (#35) DUI arrests per 100,000 people per 100,000 people (2024): 87.49 (#5) Fatal crash at BAC .08+ G/DL (2023): 3.27 (#26) Fatal crash per 100,000 people per 100,000 people – 1.31 (2023) (2023) Fatality in vehicle accidents per 100,000 people (2023): 3.3 (#48) Car carrier traffic violations per 100,000 people (2024): 120.21 (#8) Uninsured drivers (2023): 20.6% (#45)
The study also identified Highway 1 in the US as Florida’s most dangerous road, with 131 fatal crashes occurring in 2023 alone.
Despite Florida’s middle class rankings are the 26th safest, they point to areas of concern, particularly when it comes to speeding and uninsured drivers.
To see more details about how each state is compared, you can view the full rankings and methodology in Munley Law.
