Analysis: Florida one of the most dangerous states to drive at night. What we know
Do you want the good news or the bad news?
Let's go with the good news first.
Florida is not considered the most dangerous state to drive in at night.
The bad news?
Only two states are between Florida and having the distinction of the being the most dangerous state for nighttime driving.
A study by Zanes Law, an Arizona personal injury law firm, analyzed fatal crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from 2017 and 2021 to see which state had the highest percentage of fatal crashes that occurred at night.
For its methodology, Zanes Law used data from the NHTSA (National Highway Transportation Safety Board), the number of fatal crashes that occurred at nighttime in each state was calculated into a percentage of the total number of recorded fatal crashes.
More: Fatal crashes spike: Most dangerous roadways in Lee County
Florida, coming in at No. 3, had:
A total of 8,944 deadly crashes at nighttime between 2017 and 2021, out of 15,342 incidents in total
As a result, 58.30% of all crashes occurred at night in the study
The study found that Hawaii is statistically the most dangerous state to drive at night.
There were a total of 483 fatal crashes in the state in the five year period, with 285 of these at night, which is a percentage of 59.01%, the highest of any US state.
California was second on the list.
A total of 18,137 fatal crashes in the timeframe used in the study, with 10,578
58.32% of these occurred at nighttime
Coming in fourth place was Texas, with a total of 17,549 crashes between 2017 and 2021. The study found that 10,087, or 57.48%, of these crashes occurred at nighttime. Rounding out the top five is the South Carolina, experiencing 2,779 nighttime crashes, which makes up 56.75% of the 4,897 recorded total, giving it the fifth-place position.
More: Fatal crashes increase in Collier: See the most dangerous roadways
What state is considered the safest for nighttime driving?
According to the study, the safest state to drive in at night is Vermont; this is because only 109, or 37.07%, of the 294 fatal crashes recorded between 2017 and 2021 occurred at night.
Tips for safe driving at night
From AAA:
Avoid driving at night, if possible!
Everyone’s vision is poorer at night
And there are more impaired drivers on the road at night
Prepare your vehicle
Clean glass
Clean headlights
Clean sensors
Turn down dash lights
In the darkness, the less light in a vehicle’s interior, the easier it is for the driver to see outside of the vehicle.
When possible, adjust the instrument panel lighting to the lowest illumination necessary.
Electronic Devices- The glow from electronic device screens also reduces night vision
Drive at a speed such that you don’t “overdrive” your headlights
Your sight distance at night is limited to the distance lit by your vehicle’s headlights
Too Fast = insufficient room to slow down enough
Minimize the effects of glare caused by headlights of oncoming vehicles
Could look down and to the right, at the solid white line, just before the oncoming vehicle passes by your vehicle
Immediately as the other vehicle goes by, get your eyes back up and looking well down the road
Keep even more space around your vehicle- ahead and to the sides
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida nighttime driving considered among most dangerous in US
