Drew Dixon
When it comes to driving on the Fourth of July holiday, Florida ranks among the worst states in America.
Florida was ranked the 15th most dangerous state for driving during Independence Day, according to a study recently published by Omega Law Group, a personal injury and accident law firm based mostly in California.
The new study analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Report System from 2017 to 2021 to compile the list. The list came up with the Top 20 states that are most dangerous during the Fourth of July based on which states see the largest increase of accidents that day.
In Florida, there is an average of 11.2 fatalities on Independence Day on state roadways, and the Sunshine State averages 9.4 accidents on that day. That’s a 44% increase in fatalities compared to a normal day in July on Florida roads.
Florida typically averages about 7.71 fatalities per day in July and 241.4 fatalities on state roads for the month.
“Driving during a national holiday is always a risk,” Omega officials said in a news release detailing their analysis.
“Increased road traffic as people travel to attend events, visit friends and family, or vacation can lead to congestion, delays, and a higher likelihood of accidents. Many holidays involve celebrations where alcohol consumption is common, particularly New Year’s Eve, Fourth of July and Memorial Day. Unfortunately, those who choose to drink and then drive are the ones increasing the risk of accidents.”
As striking as the increase in Florida road fatalities may be on the Fourth of July, some other states had more dramatic increases in deadly accidents during the holiday. The most dramatic were in less populated states near the top of the list.
South Dakota was ranked first in states with the biggest spike in Independence Day fatalities on roads. South Dakota experiences a 244% jump, to 1.6 deaths on the Fourth of July. The state averages 0.46 deaths on state roads for any other day in July.
Washington, D.C., Vermont, New Hampshire and Connecticut rounded out the Top 5 states with the highest percentage of increased road fatalities on the Fourth of July, respectively. The gruesome Top 20 list was equally represented from all areas of the United States, with no one region dominating the list.
