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TEWKSBURY, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A new study from Car Insurance Comparison reported that the most dangerous highway in Mass. is I-495. The highway averages 9.5 deaths per year.
Car Insurance Comparison is a company that compiles insurance rates and car research for people to access and compare online.
The I-495 beltway runs for over 120 miles in a semicircle around Boston from Wareham to Salisbury.
WBZ NewsRadio’s James Rojas asked people in Tewksbury, Mass. about why they think I-495 is so dangerous.
“People cut in and out, and there’s awful lot of potholes on there,” said Marie.
She added that “people just don’t pay attention, too, to the road. You know, they’ll swerve, and there’s an awful lot of people that land in the median strip too.”
Another person agreed that distracted driving was “definitely” a factor. “There are more people than I care to mention on their phones doing stuff,” he said.
One person thought that the state of the road was a factor in I-495’s fatality rate. “Road condition’s not all that spectacular,” they said.
Compared to some other states’ most dangerous highways, I-495 had a lower death rate. Florida’s U.S. 1, for example, is the most deadly highway in the country averaging 108 fatalities per year.
Massachusetts resident Jeff said he was not surprised by that statistic. “I’ve driven all over Florida, [on] 75, I-4, I-10, all of those.”
On the other side of the spectrum, the study reported that the states with the least deadly highways are Rhode Island with I-95 Alaska with Route 3. Both states only had four fatalities on average per year on those highways.
Car Insurance Comparison explained the unifying factors that make a road dangerous. “America’s deadliest roads are usually heavily congested and prone to driving hazards like extreme weather,” reported the study.
In terms of highway safety, the study added, “You can stay safe by pulling over when you’re fatigued, remaining alert, and planning ahead.”
WBZ's James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.
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