By Drew Dixon
A new study by a personal injury law firm shows Liberty County is tops among the 67 counties in Florida for the most vehicle accidents at intersections in the state.
Blakeley Law Firm conducted the analysis that looked into crash data from all counties between 2019 to 2023. The study found Liberty County far exceeds the rest of Florida when it comes to crashes at crossroads.
“Liberty County ranks first for intersection crash risk in Florida, reporting 19.3 intersection-related incidents per 100,000 residents, nearly three times the statewide average of 6.8. Between 2019 and 2023, Liberty County, home to just 7,767 residents, recorded an average of 1.5 intersection incidents,” the study found.
Blakeley analysts drew upon county-level intersection data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Crash Data and Analysis information to determine the list.
While Liberty County in the inland Panhandle area just west of Tallahassee had a troubled record for motorists at intersections, it shared the same higher-crash statistics with other counties with small populations. The top 10 counties in the ranking were all areas with a significantly smaller number of residents than more sizeable metropolitan areas.
The smaller counties don’t have the higher profile traffic control mechanisms at intersections as larger counties. And there aren’t as many intersections, analysts concluded.
“The high rates in these areas underscore systemic issues such as inadequate traffic infrastructure, insufficient signage, and a lack of targeted safety measures,” the study stated and it made recommendations.
“To protect residents and reduce these dangerous incidents, it is crucial for policymakers and local authorities to prioritize investments in intersection safety improvements, implement robust public awareness campaigns, and strengthen traffic law enforcement.”
Hamilton County, for instance, with a population of about 14,000 just to the east of Tallahassee and bordering Georgia, was ranked second on the list with 18.3 incidents at intersections per 100,000 residents. That’s 2.5 times the average in the state in that four-year stretch. That came out to be about 5.6 incidents per year.
Levy County on the Nature Coast came in third with 12.7 incidents per 100,000 residents at intersections, about twice the statewide average in a county that has about 44,100 residents. That averages out to about 5.6 intersection-related wrecks per year.
The remaining counties in the top 10 are all relatively low population locales as well. Taylor County came in fourth followed by Lafayette, Franklin, DeSoto, Hardee, Glades and Madison rounded out the top tier list, respectively.
The post Liberty County ranked top county with most dangerous intersections in Florida appeared first on Florida Politics – Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..
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This article originally appeared here and was republished with permission.
