FHP: Construction zones one of many factors in Duval highway accident spike

We told you yesterday about a big spike in highway accidents in Duval County so far this year.

Some of you gave ideas on how to fix that through our Open Mic on the News 104.5 WOKV smartphone app.

But the Florida Highway Patrol says you have to do your part, too, in order to avoid becoming a statistic.

Speeding and distracted driving are some of the biggest factors behind a nearly 27% rise in wrecks this year on Interstates 10, 95 and 295, according to Florida Highway Patrol Sergeant Dylan Bryan.

"Reduce the number of distractions that you have," Bryan added. "Pay attention to your driving. Be responsible and be patient."

While all the ongoing construction on the interstates are definitely not helping matters, Bryan says there also isn't a direct tie to that and the jump in accidents.

"I wouldn't blame it directly on construction," Bryan noted. "More drivers are using our interstate and our highway facilities. Obviously, more crashes will occur."

Bryan also says that FHP is doing their best to station troopers in areas which are more likely to see accidents, based partly on the crash data they've gathered.

Florida Department of Transportation spokesman Ron Tittle says they're doing all they can to educate locals and tourists because it's really up to each driver to make sure the roads are as safe as possible.

"It boils down to individual responsibility," Tittle added. "There's a reason why we have speed limits, even in these construction zones, to slow these speeds down some."

Having said that, Tittle also noted that pursuing alternative means of transportation might be the best long-term solution to roadway congestion and lower accident rates, even though there's already over $1 billion in road construction projects currently underway in the Jacksonville area.

"We just can't build capacity sufficiently to accommodate all the different types of groups and the increasing numbers traveling on our roadways," Tittle noted.

There have been nearly 900 more crashes so far in the first eight months 2016 on I-95, the Beltway and I-10 in Duval. That's in comparison to the same time period in 2015.