//Florida leads nation with most fatal crashes while turning

Florida leads nation with most fatal crashes while turning

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IN OTHER NEWS – A new study by personal injury attorneys identifies Florida as the state where it is most dangerous for drivers to make a turn.

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  • Florida leads the nation with the highest percentage of drivers involved in fatal crashes while turning. 
  • Nevada follows closely, with turning-related incidents constituting over 11% of drivers in fatal crashes. 
  • Top five also features Delaware, Hawaii and New York 

A new study has identified Florida as the state where it is most dangerous for drivers to make a turn. 

The study, conducted by experienced personal injury attorneys John Foy & Associates, analyzed the latest available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on drivers involved in fatal crashes between 2017 and 2021. It counted those who were recorded as turning either left or right, and compared it against the total number of drivers in crashes to discover the states where turns were most likely to result in a fatal collision. 

The study found that in Florida, out of 24,140 total drivers involved in fatal crashes, 2,824 were making turning maneuvers. That equates to 11.7% of all drivers in deadly collisions, which is the highest ratio in the nation. Of these, a significant majority, 2,536 drivers, were turning left, a maneuver commonly associated with higher risks due to crossing opposing traffic lanes. 

Nevada ranks second, with 11.36% of fatal crash-involved drivers making turns. Although the total number of drivers in fatal crashes in Nevada is 2,403, with 273 found to be turning left or right at the time of the incident. 

Delaware, ranking third, presents a 9.98% rate of drivers in fatal crashes making a turn at the time, which equates to 68 out of 892 total drivers involved, emphasizing that the risk is not confined to states with larger populations or higher traffic volumes. 

In fourth place is Hawaii, where out of 687 drivers in fatal crashes, 68 were making a turning maneuver, with 59 of those being left turns. This accounts for 9.90% of all drivers in deadly collisions in the state. 

The fifth most dangerous state for making a turn is New York’s, as 9.74% of drivers in fatal crashes were making a left or right turn. The numbers translate to 674 drivers in turning-related fatal crashes out of a total of 6,920, with 111 incidents involving right turns and 563 involving left turns. 

New Jersey ranks sixth, where 399 of the 4,191 drivers involved in fatal crashes were turning, resulting in a 9.52% rate. Colorado follows as the seventh, with 433 out of 4,589 drivers in fatal crashes, or 9.44%, making a turn. Arizona, standing at eighth, sees 659 turning incidents among 7,293 total drivers in fatal crashes, equating to 9.04%. Pennsylvania records a 8.54% rate with 710 out of 8,313 drivers in fatal crashes turning, and Tennessee rounds out the list with 672 drivers in turning-related deadly collisions out of 8,227, or 8.17%. 

The study’s findings for the bottom five states reveal a lower but still notable risk associated with turning maneuvers in fatal crashes. South Dakota reports a 5.33% rate, with 43 out of 806 drivers in fatal crashes involving a turn. Close by is New Hampshire with 41 drivers in turning-related incidents out of 775, marking a 5.29% rate. Mississippi stands at 5.08%, where 237 of the 4,663 drivers in fatal crashes were turning. Montana’s data shows a 4.72% rate with 56 out of 1,187 incidents, while Wyoming has the lowest percentage at 3.98%, with 31 drivers involved in turning-related crashes out of 779 total crashes. 

Commenting on the study, a spokesperson for John Foy & Associates said: “Nationally, the study presents a concerning overview of turning-related traffic incidents that proved to be fatal. Out of the 271,028 drivers in fatal crashes, 20,716 were turning left or right, corresponding to 7.64% of all drivers in fatal crashes across the country. The breakdown of these numbers shows that 2,217 drivers were making a right turn while the majority, 18,499 drivers, were making a left turn at the time of the fatal crash.”