“Miami’s dubious distinction: fatalities due to traffic collisions are one of the highest in the nation.”
Miami’s Top 5 most dangerous intersections 2021.
Miami is a driver’s paradise. Year-round top-down weather. A showplace for the world’s finest automobiles. But there is one drawback. Traffic. And more traffic means more traffic jams, more demands on drivers — and more accidents. And sadly, more fatalities.
We joke about it. We complain about it. It’s a love/hate relationship.
Regardless how you feel about driving in South Florida, extensive studies show that the rate of fatalities due to traffic collisions in the state is one of the highest in the nation. Moreover, Miami-Dade has the seventh-worse ‘congestion and bottlenecking’ in the country. Seems worse than that. Ask any Miami-Dade resident.
Among America’s most dangerous intersections, there is unfortunately a roster of intersections in Miami-Dade that are particularly deadly. Here are the worst.
5. NE second avenue and 36th street Midtown Miami
This one has been on our top 5 list for years. A very tricky intersection that includes three separate roadways and a railroad track. The big problem is the timing of the lights. North and southbound traffic is often blocked and we’ve seen reckless drives take crazy chances — which may be the only way to get through this intersection. Overpacked roads, poorly timed lights and 4 incoming streams of traffic have made this intersection one of the city’s most dangerous. Forget trying to maneuver through this intersection without a major amount of anxiety if you’re in a vehicle and avoid it at all costs if you’re on foot or a bike.
4. SW 117th Avenue and Kendall Drive
West Kendall Drive…it used to be nothing but strawberry fields, now it’s nothing but strip malls and clogged roads. This particular intersection is a perennial on this list. It’s in an area that has exploded with high-density dwellings and acres of big-box retailers. It’s created a massive traffic logjam at 117th Avenue and Kendall Drive and that proliferation of autos has created a dangerous situation, especially in heavily traveled rush hours. If you travel this route, you know how bad it can get. Commuting through this area is horrible and it’s made the list of extremely dangerous intersections for the second year in a row. The situation has gotten so bad that a homeowner’s association in the area has asked that new business construction be halted until something is done about the traffic pattern.
3. SW 117th Avenue and 152 street
One of Miami’s worst — ask any police officer or EMT. This is the third-most hazardous intersection in the Miami. There are six high-speed lanes traveling in every direction — with road signage that can be difficult to understand — or even see before it’s too late. Driver confusion has led to an unfortunate number of crashes and an inordinate tally of fatal accidents. Drive defensively when you travel this intersection. Better yet, avoid it.
2. Alton Road and Dade Boulevard
Construction — seemingly endless — is the culprit that’s made this intersection one of the worst. Miles-long traffic jams are routine when you hit the causeway, snaking through construction and uneven lanes. These construction projects will certainly make the problems in the area worse. A new bridge that will connect West Avenue and Sunset Harbor should help. But as of today, the changing road patterns and heavy traffic at Alton Road at Dade Boulevard has made this intersection one of the most dangerous.
1. NW 87th Avenue and NW 36th Street
The most dangerous to date: NW 87th Street and 36th Street. At Miami’s intersections, rush hour can be stressful. But in Doral, traffic jams — spontaneous rush hours — are unpredictable and can spring up like a quick summer shower, and that leads to frustrated commuters, excessive speed for road conditions, over-populated streets, construction and a spot on our list of the most dangerous intersections. Take a look at Twitter — drivers regularity log in to express their frustrations. Just too many cars.
Miami Statistics
- Miami-Dade County leads Florida with the highest number of fatalities per mile.
- The I-95 Express Toll in Little River has 7.01 fatalities per mile.
- In 2015, traffic fatalities in Florida accounted for 8.4 percent of traffic fatalities in the country.
- Nearly one out of every three car accidents in Miami-Dade County results in an injury.
- In 2018: 21,770 injury-causing accidents, resulting in 31,270 injuries in Miami-Dade
- In 2019: 22,377 injury-causing accidents, resulting in 32,700 injuries in Miami-Dade
- In 2020: 16,486 injury-causing accidents, resulting in 24,241 injuries in Miami-Dade
- FACT: There are more car accidents reported in Miami–Dade County than anywhere else in Florida. Nearly 20 percent of these crashes occur within the city limits of Miami.
National Scope
We’ve never seen a time in our country like the last two years, and traffic collision statistics bear that out. While there were fewer people on the roads because of lockdowns, stay-at-home orders, and less tourism, NSC (the National Safety Council) reports that 42,060 people across the country died in traffic collisions last year, an 8% increase over the year before — and a 24% jump in terms of miles driven. That is the highest increase in traffic fatalities in the past hundred years.
In the first six months of 2021, deaths were up 16% year over year and in that same period 2,445,000 Americans sustained serious injuries in collisions. August saw the greatest number of fatal collisions. Approximately $241.9 billion in property damage was attributed to traffic collisions across the country in the first half of 2021.
These are horrific traffic facts. Is it because so many people who move here never had traffic stop signs or red lights? So they are ignored!! If one comes from another country with a license maybe the new law requires them to take the written exam and a driving test!! Just like a new driver.
I agree! People in Miami do Not obey the traffic laws, rules of the road are ignored! No turn signals, no stops on red lights or stop signs! Speeding…. I’ve even seen the police cars cutting people off when there is NO emergency! Police need to follow the rules and people moving from another country Need to take the writing and driving exam HERE, even if they have a foreign driver’s license!