Suffolk County is a big area, with a lot of people. Although it is less urban than the Western side of the island, it is far from rural. With nearly 1.5 million people in Suffolk County, the roads can get pretty hectic. Even with the Covid-19 pandemic, traffic in Suffolk County seems to have returned back to normal. 

What makes Suffolk County unique is that the roads seem to change with the environment of the island. If you are driving near the north shore, you’ll find yourself in roads surrounded by forest. This means you may find roads that are windier, steeper and with more blind spots. If you drive near the south shore, the roads are flatter, with more businesses and heavier traffic. If you are driving out east, you may notice the roads having less cars and less lanes; and you’ll probably pass a farm or two. And if you drive near a colonial village such as Northport or Port Jefferson, you will notice the roads becoming much more narrow. With the unpredictability of the roads in Suffolk County, it is imperative that drivers are always defensive.

The most dangerous roads in Suffolk County include roads like Jericho Turnpike and Middle Country Rd. Jericho Turnpike (Route 25) is reported to be the most dangerous for pedestrians, with approximately half of all pedestrian accident deaths occurring between Centerreach and Ridge. The reason these roads have so many pedestrian accidents is due to the fact that its purpose is designed to serve as a high volume road for residential and commercial areas. It isn’t a highway, but has higher speed limits and more traffic than a typical road. Additionally, unlike a highway, it has businesses, parking lots, sidewalks and crosswalks. Drivers need to be especially careful on these roads to prevent causing an accident.

Safety Tips For Drivers:

• Never use your phone while driving – eliminate all distractions as these types of roads require the most focus
• Observe the speed limit – these high activity roads are hectic enough, making you unprepared for unexpected stops or pedestrians.
• Don’t tailgate – cars will often be slowing down to make turns into a business parking lot so having a safe braking distance is vital
• Slow down and be observant at shopping centers – these areas are high activity, and many cars slow down to turn into them. Additionally pedestrians could be walking around.
• Be extremely careful when passing a bicycle
• Slow down at every crosswalk
• Slow down at bus stops – Sometimes pedestrians will run across the street to get to a bus stop.
• Use caution at middle lanes – Some of these roads have merging lanes in between the flows of traffic to allow cars to enter or exit a business or parking lot safely. Don’t use them to pass other cars, be very careful when merging back into the main road and don’t merge into these lanes to get into a turning lane faster.

Safety Tips For Pedestrians

• Always walk on sidewalks – if no sidewalk is present, walk against the flow of traffic
• Use crosswalks when crossing the street – keep your eyes on the road as you cross
• Avoid looking at your phone especially when walking in parking lots or crossing the street
• Refrain from wearing headphones