JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville has earned a troubling reputation for dangerous roads and reckless driving — and the numbers back it up. The city ranks among the worst in America for deadly car accidents.

A Forbes Advisor study ranks Jacksonville 14th in the nation for dangerous driving. The reasons? Reckless behavior like tailgating, texting behind the wheel and speeding. The impact is devastating.

According to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, there were 395,175 crashes statewide in 2023, resulting in 3,162 deaths.

Raymond Feaster knows that danger all too well. His father, John Feaster, was hit and killed while walking home from a bar in Jacksonville in March 2016.

“I see people driving 50, 60 mph,” Feaster told First Coast News. “They don’t care about the speed limit. Nothing will change until the city does something. University [Boulevard] is one of the busiest roads besides the interstates.”

A 2021 study by Farah & Farah names Blanding Boulevard, Argyle Forest Boulevard and University Boulevard among the city’s most dangerous roads.

More recent data from the Florida Highway Patrol shows that in 2024, while deadly crashes happened citywide, Penman Road stands out as the only road with multiple fatalities.

But, North Florida Transportation Planning Organization Executive Director Jeff Sheffield said the solution isn’t simple.

“It’s a multi-modal transportation focus we are working to fund,” Sheffield said. “There isn’t one clear cause — it could be driver behavior or road design — so there’s no easy pattern to address.”

However, there is a strategy: Sheffield said focusing on the most dangerous areas in the city is essential.

“Roughly, 15% of roads account for more than 85% of fatalities,” said Sheffield. “If we focus on that 15%, we can make a difference.”

The city said it is working to tackle the problem by testing new technology aimed at preventing deadly crashes, but added that there’s still a long road ahead.