PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A new report shows U.S. 19 is the most dangerous road in the state by county. According to the report by Consumer Affairs, the road is most dangerous in Pasco and Pinellas counties.
"Ambulances come by all the time…and I mean all the time," said Eva Lizette, who works near U.S. 19.
Lizette works at a natural soap shop and said the road can be stressful to drive on.
"You do see a lot of crashes, a lot of cars on the side of the road, a lot of stuff that flies off of people's cars, you know. More so lately I've noticed than these last four months or so," said Lizette.
When she's on U.S. 19, she takes her time.
"Swerving out of the way to miss a half chair or a partial comforter is not the best thing to do when you're going 55 mph," said Lizette.
She's not the only one who's noticed the issues. A new study by Consumer Affairs states that U.S. 19 is ranked the most dangerous road in the state by county.
Specifically, it has the most deaths in Pasco and Pinellas Counties.
"It carries a lot cars, often traveling at high rates of speed, so crashes are very common, especially at the intersections along the roadway," said Chelsea Favero with Forward Pinellas.
The study shows 94 people have died in the Pinellas County portion of U.S. 19 since 2020, and in the Pasco County portion, there have been 68 deaths.
Favero says those numbers are heartbreaking but not shocking.
"U.S. 19 is one of our most dangerous roadways, but its also the longest roadway in Pinellas County and the roadway that carries the most amount of traffic, so that's really why you're going to naturally see more crashes along it," said Favero.
Favero said construction to add interchanges is being done at U.S. 19 and Curlew Road to improve safety and mobility.
"We do plan to focus pretty heavily on this corridor over the next few years," said Favero.
Lizette believes the traffic issues along U.S. 19 keep people from stopping by her shop and hopes that'll change soon.
"We do have an amazing array of things here, and even in this plaza, there's so much to offer, and it would be great to more people here," said Lizette.
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