The Deadliest Highway Stretches Near Tampa
Florida keeps detailed records regarding the safety of its roads. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) provides publicly available monthly data on all crashes and fatalities that occur in the state. This data is parsed by types of accidents and locations and then published in an annual Traffic Crash Facts report.
According to the FLHSMV’s 2024 data, there were 346,298 crashes in December and almost two-thirds as many injuries. Furthermore, there were nearly 3,000 fatalities from vehicle accidents in the state.
These statistics are consistent with previous years. Florida has been trending around 400,000 annual accidents, resulting in roughly 3,000 fatalities for some time.
If you look closely at the data, you will discover that accidents occur throughout the state on almost every type of road or highway. However, because highways have the fastest traffic, they also have more fatal accidents. In Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, there were 26,217 crashes in 2024, resulting in 175 fatalities and 17,333 injuries. This underscores the significant risk of car accidents in Tampa, FL.
The following are some of the deadliest stretches of highways in Florida.
I-75
Interstate 75 is one of the most dangerous highways in the country. This isn’t that surprising, given its length. This interstate starts in northern Michigan and runs down to the southern tip of Florida.
Across the entire length of I-75, there are hundreds of fatal car crashes every year. According to statistics provided by ValuePenguin, the deadliest stretch of this road is in Hillsborough County, where there were 60 traffic fatalities over the four years between 2015 and 2019. Other dangerous stretches include areas near Fort Myers, Tampa, and Sarasota.
I-4
There is one more interstate that runs through central Florida. However, it is an east-west interstate, so it can’t be easily used as an alternative to either I-95 or I-75. It also makes this list, sadly.
The reason for the large number of traffic accidents on this highway is no mystery. I-4 runs between Tampa, Orlando, and Daytona. Furthermore, it is the only interstate that travels through Orlando. This means the road is often highly congested and filled with people driving at high speeds.
These three cities also represent the stretches of I-4 that are the most dangerous. When traveling around Orlando, you can avoid I-4 by choosing several convenient state road options. Given the heavy traffic on I-4, you might not even lose much time.
Your options are much more restricted around Daytona. The only meaningful alternatives are I-95, I-4, or State Route 92. The latter may be the safest choice, even if it costs you some time when traveling to the airport or the speedway.
Tampa, conveniently, is more like Orlando. There are several state routes that you can use to travel around the city instead of the interstates. If you are concerned about accidents, you can plan to use one of these routes.
US-41
Unfortunately, interstate highways aren’t the only dangerous roadways in Florida. In Hillsborough County, US-41 also has one of the deadliest stretches in the country. If you aren’t that familiar with Florida’s geography, Hillsborough County is home to Tampa.
Unfortunately, US-41 is one more major highway that you might want to remove from your list of reliable roads in the Tampa area. If you haven’t been counting, that is three so far.
According to ValuePenguin’s data for 2015 to 2019, this stretch of road resulted in 80 deaths during those years. That makes US-41 in Hillsborough County even deadlier than nearby I-75.
Avoiding Car Accidents on Deadly Stretches of Highways Near Tampa
The best thing about these dangerous stretches of highway is that they are in Florida, where the weather is generally pretty nice. If it isn’t hurricane season, you will enjoy good weather on most days, and you should never have to worry about snow.
Therefore, the primary risk factor on Florida highways — besides other drivers — is driving at night. As a rule of thumb, if you can avoid driving on these stretches after dark, you will significantly reduce your chances of getting into an accident.
With the advent of GPS, you should also be able to exclude the most dangerous stretches from your travel plans. This means that you might need to add a little time to your trip. While that can be annoying, it is a lot less annoying than getting into an accident.
If you are forced to drive on a dangerous stretch, follow the speed limit and watch out for anyone driving recklessly.