Florida highways among most dangerous, new report shows

Florida is among the worst states in the nation at keeping motorists safe on highways.

• So says a new report from Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety that details measures, like mandatory helmets for motorcycle riders, it says could've prevented some of the nearly 43,000 traffic fatalities on U.S. roads last year.

State of play: The study ranked Florida in "danger" due to the low number of laws on the books aimed at preventing traffic deaths, such as restricting the use of cell phones for certain beginner drivers and requiring rear-facing seats for kids through age 2.

Context: Florida — which had 3,753 traffic fatalities in 2021 — does require front seat belts, and prohibits open containers and text messaging by drivers, but is missing a host of other laws.

What they're saying: "Florida is one of our red cautionary states, and they only have a couple of the laws," Catherine Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, said at a news conference yesterday, adding that Florida has a "complicated legislative system."

• "We're not really surprised by all of the traffic losses, but they can be prevented."