I-95 Is America’s Most Dangerous Highway

A new whitepaper, “The I-95 Effect” from The Schiller Kessler Group, concludes that the most-traveled East Coast highway remains one of the nation’s most dangerous roadways, and the fix won’t come from concrete alone. While infrastructure upgrades and enforcement matter, the analysis finds that driver behavior: alcohol impairment, distraction, and speed—ultimately determines I-95’s risk profile and offers the most immediate path to reducing fatalities.

Spanning 1,917 miles across 15 states from Maine to Florida, I-95 handles everyday commuter traffic, long-haul freight, and seasonal tourism in volumes few roads on earth experience. Daily traffic averages ~72,000 vehicles, spiking above 300,000 in certain segments. At least 10,000 large trucks use the corridor on a typical day (tripling in peak freight periods). Between 2019–2023, I-95 averaged well over 300 deaths annually: 305 (2019), 382 (2020), 363 (2021), 379 (2022), and 342 (2023). Even after the pandemic’s speed-driven spike in 2020, the corridor continues to post mid-300s fatalities year after year.

“Engineering can reduce harm, but behavior drives outcomes,” said a spokesperson for the research team. “Where drivers choose to speed, pick up the phone, or drink and drive, the corridor’s exposure becomes deadly—especially at southern speeds and freight densities.”

Southern Concentration of Risk

The whitepaper shows risk is heavily concentrated in the Southeast. From Virginia to Florida, the corridor accounts for ~80% of all I-95 fatalities. Florida alone recorded 746 fatalities over five years—40%+ of the corridor total. North Carolina and South Carolina combined posted 481 fatalities, with Virginia (173) and Georgia (187) also elevated. By contrast, northern states such as Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island generally see single-digit deaths annually, and New Hampshire plus Washington, D.C. reported zero in the study period.

Why the South Is Deadlier

The southern run features long, rural, high-speed segments (70–75 mph), heavy truck volumes from ports like Savannah, Jacksonville, and Miami, less consistent enforcement environments, and large numbers of non-resident/tourist drivers unfamiliar with exits and traffic patterns. These forces multiply crash severity and frequency.

Behavior at the Core

• Alcohol impairment accounted for 260 deaths on I-95 (2019–2023), led by Florida (112) and Connecticut (33).

• Distracted driving is prominent in high-traffic states like Florida, North Carolina, and New Jersey.

• Speed is underreported in crash data, but the higher lawful baseline speeds in the South (70–75 mph) magnify crash severity even when “speeding” isn’t formally recorded.

Per-Mile Danger

I-95’s average is ~0.18 fatalities per mile per year, versus a national interstate average of ~0.11. Florida’s stretch posts ~0.39 per mile, more than 3× the U.S. interstate norm. The Carolinas combined reach ~0.25 per mile; Connecticut sits near 0.06, closer to national averages.

Crash Patterns & Timing

Rear-end collisions are the most common fatal crash type each year (53 in 2019; 81 in 2022), reflecting tailgating, distraction, sudden slowdowns, and truck congestion. The deadliest hours: weekend early mornings (2:00–3:59 a.m.), with 2023 seeing 13 deaths in a single 2:00–2:59 a.m. Saturday window—when alcohol, fatigue, low visibility, and lighter enforcement collide.

Infrastructure Helps—But Won’t Solve Behavior

Major projects are underway:

• SC/GA border: $825M expansion and bridge replacements.

• Connecticut (West Haven): $136.5M bridge replacement to reduce crashes (target 2027).

• Virginia (Fredericksburg): variable speed systems improving flow and crash severity.

• Maine: ~$133M in federal bridge grants for aging crossings.

Recommendations: Pair construction/enforcement with behavioral interventions, high-visibility DUI/speed campaigns, distraction crackdown, weekend late-night patrols; leverage variable limits and work-zone speed tech; prioritize truck safety programs on freight-dense segments; and run tourist-season safety messaging at state gateways.

About the Study: The whitepaper synthesizes five years (2019–2023) of corridor-specific fatalities, per-mile comparisons, crash types/timing, vehicle involvement, and regional dynamics, with special emphasis on the southern corridor’s freight, speed, and tourism interplay.