Study names Interstate 4 most dangerous highway in America

TAMPA — Interstate 4, which stretches from Tampa to Daytona Beach, is the most dangerous highway in the country, according to an analysis.

"Considering there are over 70 interstates in the United States, we took a look at the most dangerous interstates in America, based on fatalities per mile," says the study compiled by EverQuote, an online marketplace for auto insurance.

Interstate 4 connects from I-275 in Tampa to I-95 in Daytona Beach and experienced 1.41 fatalities per mile over the past six years, the study found.

The 132-mile highway has made this top 10 list of most dangerous highways since 2010.

But it's not just happening in Central Florida.

According to EverQuote, Americans spend 293 hours driving about 10,900 miles each year, leaving ample room for potential crashes.

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced that traffic fatalities have grown 10.4 percent during the first six months of 2016 compared with the same time period in 2015.

"The increase may be a result of a stronger economy, lower gas prices and more drivers on the road —- but the upsurge is likely indicative of more than that," EverQuote's analysis stated. "Distracted driving is truly an epidemic in America, and this percentage is yet another reminder that our driving habits need to change."

The report cited a couple of earlier studies. One found that drivers are distracted more than half the time they are behind the wheel. Another said 61 percent of drivers use their cellphones on some drives, most drives or every drive.

For the analysis, EverQuote said it used data from a fatality report system by the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration from 2010 through 2015. The data was then compared to the data from EverQuote's safe-driving app called EverDrive, which represented more than 6 million trips and 80 million miles of driving.

Here is the report's top 10, with routes involving Florida in bold:

1. Interstate 4 — Tampa to Daytona Beach (132 miles; 1.41 fatalities per mile)

2. Interstate 45 — Dallas to Houston

3. Interstate 17 — Phoenix to Flagstaff, Ariz.

4. Interstate 30 -— Fort Worth, Texas, to Little Rock, Ark.

5. Interstate 95 — Miami to Houlton, Maine (1,926 miles; 0.89 fatalities per mile)

6. Interstate 19 — Nogales, Mexico, to Tucson, Ariz.

7. Interstate 10 — Santa Monica, Calif., to Jacksonville (2,460 miles; 0.85 fatalities per mile)

8. Interstate 37 — Corpus Christi to San Antonio, Texas

9. Interstate 26 — Kingsport, Tenn., to Charleston, S.C.

10. Interstate 97 — Annapolis, Md., to Baltimore