How Safe Is Your Miami Route?

Updated April 2020

Despite advances in technology and safety mechanisms in cars, hundreds of thousands of Floridians are hurt in car accidents each year. In 2018, there were 403,626 reportable motor vehicle crashes in the state. Those accidents led to 255,353 injuries — and 3,135 fatalities. 

Miami-Dade County accounts for a large share of the total accidents in Florida. In 2018, there were 64,627 reportable traffic crashes in the county. 31,270 people were injured as a result of those accidents, and another 293 people were killed.

With numbers like these, perhaps it is no surprise that Florida is ranked 4th in the country for the worst drivers. So how can you protect yourself from getting into a collision when there are so many bad drivers on the road?

As Miami car accident attorneys, we see the outcomes of motor vehicle accidents every day. That is why we developed a tool to help you determine the relative safety of your route. By using this online calculator, you can figure out just how safe your typical routes are — and make a decision about the best way to go to arrive safely.

What Is the Route Risk Calculator?

The Route Risk Calculator is an online tool that we developed for the greater Miami area. Using publicly-available data from accidents and other incidents in Miami-Dade County, we determined which roads, streets, and highways presented the most danger. 

The calculator is a grid of the roads in and around Miami. Each square of this grid is assigned a score based on a number of factors. The most important statistic used to determine the score is the number of car crashes that have occurred in that part of the grid within the past year.

The way that it works is simple: you can plug in starting and ending points and the calculator will analyze the safety score of each square along your proposed route. The average of these combined scores will then be calculated, giving you a grade for the route. The scale goes from A to F, with A being the safest route and F being the least safe.

If there is more than one way to get from Point A to Point B, the calculator will list each of those routes, and give you a score for each. In this way, you can decide to take a different way to work, school or anywhere else based on its relative safety score. 

How to Use the Route Risk Calculator 

We designed the Route Risk Calculator to be as user-friendly as possible. To use it, just plug in your starting and ending locations. The tool will show you the route option(s). You’ll see a grade beside the route(s). 

Once you have the route grade, you can decide how to proceed. If there is just one route, and it has a score of “D,” you might be extra cautious when driving it. If there is more than one route, you can choose the one with the better grade.

For example, if you are traveling from Cutler Bay to Miami Beach, there are two route options. The first takes you along the Palmetto Expressway — and has a grade of B. The second also takes the Palmetto Expressway but then continues on the Homestead Extension of the Turnpike. That route has a grade of A. 

Based on these two options, you may decide that the better driving choice is to take the second route. This information does not guarantee the safety of any route, or that you won’t be in a car accident — but it can be helpful as you choose how to get to each destination in Miami.

Will Using the Calculator Reduce the Number of Accidents in the Miami Area?

This calculator uses an algorithm that is based on past traffic data. It can be incredibly helpful in figuring out the best route to take, per historical trends. However, it does not predict the future — and is not a substitute for your independent judgment as a driver.

Because Miami has so many traffic crashes each year, anything that we can do as individuals to reduce the risk of an accident may be helpful. Understanding where collisions are more likely to occur, perhaps because of a dangerous intersection or a stretch of road where there are lots of people turning on and off, can allow each of us to take greater control over our safety. In this way, the Route Risk Calculator may help to reduce the number of accidents in and around Miami.

For example, the intersection of NW South River Drive and W. 76th Street in Hialeah Gardens is graded as an “F.” There are many reasons why this intersection may be a higher risk. Simply knowing that a high percentage of accidents in Miami happens here may be enough to motivate you — and others — to avoid it.

Our hope is that drivers will use this tool to make better decisions when they are driving. Even if you are traveling on a route that is graded “F,” you can be more aware of the vehicles around you and pay extra attention at intersections. In this way, you can decrease the likelihood of a collision.

Hurt in an Accident? We Can Help.

A motor vehicle collision can result in serious injuries or even death. Our Route Risk Calculator may help to change that reality for residents of and visitors to the Miami area. While using this tool doesn’t guarantee that you won’t be in an accident, it may help lower the risk of your drive.

Based in Miami, Kaire & Heffernan represents victims of car crashes and other types of accidents. With services in both English and Spanish, we offer free initial consultations to all prospective clients. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, contact our office today at 305-372-0123, or reach out online.