Traffic, intersections becoming more dangerous in Southwest Florida

Writer: Joey Pellegrino
Published: Updated:
Accident at one of SWFL’s dangerous intersections. Credit: WINK News

You may have noticed a spike in car crashes lately. Crashes dropped dramatically in April, when everyone was staying home, but they slowly started rising again.

In September, there were close to 1,000 crashes in Lee County. Now that season is upon us, there are more drivers on the roads and the Florida Highway Patrol says its troopers are prepared to respond to more crashes.

Melissa Schoonmaker moved to Lee from San Antonio, and she says the Floridian traffic is worse.

“Oh, it’s very frustrating, I even gauge it with my GPS and I’m either 15 minutes early or 10 minutes late sometimes, depending on the traffic—I can never gauge it,” Schoonmaker said. “Be more aware of your surroundings and stop texting, that is the biggest thing.”

As more people use the roads, FHP says it’s important to do your part to be safe.
That means: Put your phone down, put your seatbelt on, adjust your speed in accordance with the weather conditions and staying on top of vehicle maintenance. You can call *-FHP to report aggressive drivers.

“A crash can occur in a neighborhood, can occur on the interstate, it can occur on Daniels Parkway,” said Lt. Greg Bueno of FHP. “So what we ask everyone to do before they leave their driveway: Just take a second, decompress yourself, remind yourself of the importance of being a responsible driver, because there’s so many families that we’ve seen just this past week that are missing someone in their lives now, because they’ve been a victim to a traffic crash.”

WINK News asked you which intersections you think are the most dangerous to drive through. You said:

  • Fort Myers
    • Six Mile Cypress Parkway and Colonial Boulevard
    • Colonial Boulevard and Summerlin Road
  • Cape Coral
    • Pine Island Road and Del Prado Boulevard North.
  • Bonita Springs
    • Old 41 Road and Terry Street (roundabout)

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