Beware of Florida Drivers in This City
If you’re driving around the state and think to yourself, wow, there are a lot of bad Florida drivers out there, you’re not wrong. There’s a new study out from safety experts that shows Florida is one of the worst states for certain driving behavior. So, stay extra safe on the road, and be aware of what’s going on around you. It’s like my mom used to say when I first started to drive: “I’m not worried about your driving. I’m worried about everyone else’s driving.”
Florida Drivers in This City Are the Most Dangerous , Experts Say
Allstate has a new report out on the best and worst cities for safety when it comes on driving, based on driving behavior, including Florida drivers. So, basically, these are cities with the best and worst drivers. “For the first time, the report uses anonymized connected driving data from Allstate’s mobility data and analytics partner Arity to rank the 100 most populous U.S. urban areas by driving behavior, like phone handling, high-speed driving and hard braking,” they explain.
In the study, they discovered that drivers on the West Coast handle their phone less on the road than in other areas of the country. That makes those drivers safer. “San Jose, San Diego, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Seattle, San Bernadino, and Portland, Oregon are among the top 10 areas where drivers handle their phone the least,” they explain. Also, drivers in the Midwest hard brake the least. As for specific cities, Midwest cities where drivers hard brake the very least are Madison, Cleveland, Des Moines, Minneapolis and St. Louis. Also, drivers in the Pacific Northwest and the Northeast drive at safer speeds, with Seattle, Spokane, Portland, Buffalo, Albany, Rochester and Allentown being the top 10 areas that avoid driving over 80 mph.
The city with the safest drivers in the United States, according to Allstate, is Honolulu. It’s No. 1 in both hard breaking rank and high-speed rank. The city with the second safest drivers is Minneapolis, followed by Seattle at No. 3, Portland at No. 4 and Virginia Beach at No. 5. So, what about our state? Drivers in Miami, Florida, are among the most dangerous in the country, according to this report. Miami is No. 90 on the tally. It’s ranked No. 73 for the hard breaking rank and No. 94 in high-speed rank. Not great. But, Florida drivers in Jacksonville are notably safer, with an overall rank of No. 20. Let’s hope the next time this report rolls around, we’re in a much safer spot.
Underrated Florida Beaches That Are Filled with Beauty
Fort Myers Beach
Fort Myers Beach still has a good amount of damage from the hurricane, but Margaritaville is open, so you’ll find plenty to do there. Situated on Estero Island, Fort Myers Beach is one of the state’s most underrated beaches. At Fort Myers Beach, you’ll find beautiful, white-sand beaches and gorgeous sunsets.
Getty Images / benkrut
Sarasota
Make sure to visit Siesta Key here, as well as Sarasota Gay Beach and Crescent Beach. Just south of Tampa Bay, Sarasota is a lovely beach town that is especially popular during the holidays. You’ll find lots of local shopping opportunities here.
Getty Images / Sean Pavone
St. George Island State Park
St. George Island State Park is located on a barrier island fronting the legendary Apalachicola Bay. It’s a great place to gaze at the stars. Note that starting March 1, 2025, the campground at Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park will be closed for an expansion project.
Getty Images / Liene-Helmig
Santa Rosa Beach
If you head to Santa Rosa Beach and want to find some really special, and secret, beaches, try Blue Mountain Beach and Grayton Beach State Park. This beach town is less crowded than most, which makes it a low-key getaway.
Getty Images / krblokhin
Pensacola Beach
Pensacola Beach is located on a 40-mile barrier island, Pensacola Beach, and has beautiful, translucent waters. It’s a really small town, so it’s much less crowded than other beaches. It’s a hidden gem.
Getty Images / Ben Oldaker
Discover Your Own New Favorite
If you don’t want to go too far, do some digging and visit one of the closest beaches to you, that you haven’t visited yet. This is one of my favorite things to do. Maybe you’ll find a new favorite beach super close to home.
Getty Images / Sergey Dementyev
