The Most Dangerous Intersections in Bradenton and Manatee County

Manatee County is the intersection capital of Florida. SR 70 & US 41 is the single most dangerous intersection in the entire state, and the county holds 24 of Florida's 98 worst — nearly all of them strung along US 41, US 301, and SR 70.

6 min read · Last reviewed August 10, 2026 · Crash data by city

For a mid-size county, Manatee produces a startling share of Florida's worst intersections. When we grouped every fatal and serious-injury crash by junction, Bradenton's SR 70 & US 41 came out as the single most dangerous intersection in the entire state — and it has plenty of company nearby. Manatee County holds 24 of Florida's 98 most chronically dangerous intersections, placing it alongside Pasco and Orange as the three counties that own most of the state's intersection danger. Across the county, intersection crashes killed 126 people and seriously injured more than 2,200 over the window studied. Explore any junction on our interactive Florida Crash Report map.

Bradenton's most dangerous intersections

Ranked by recurring serious crashes over 2014–2018, these are the worst intersections in Manatee County:

Worst Manatee County intersections by recurring severe crashes, 2014–2018. Source: FDOT.

It's really three roads

The pattern is impossible to miss: nearly every dangerous intersection in the county sits on one of three arterials. US 41 (Tamiami Trail) carries the worst of them — SR 70, 57th Avenue, SR 684 (Cortez Road), and Florida Boulevard all cross it at high-crash junctions. US 301 adds 15th Street East and 63rd Avenue East. SR 70 (53rd Avenue) ties the grid together. These are aging, high-volume surface highways carrying growing traffic through Bradenton, with frequent driveways, turning movements, and long signal cycles — the exact ingredients that make an intersection produce serious crashes again and again. It is the same reason Manatee owns a share of the statewide list far out of proportion to its population.

When crashes happen in Manatee County

Fatal crashes in the county peak around 8 p.m. on Saturdays, and just over half happen after dark. The deadliest single corridor, US 41, is also the one that carries the most dangerous intersections — the same road running through the same neighborhoods. For the road-by-road picture, see the most dangerous roads in Bradenton.

What this means if you were hurt

An intersection's crash record does not decide fault by itself — Florida looks at what each driver did in the specific crash, such as who had the light and who was turning. But intersection crashes often turn on exactly the evidence you can capture at the scene: signal timing, vehicle positions, and witnesses. If you were injured, get medical care within 14 days to preserve your PIP benefits, document the scene, and understand your coverage before talking to an insurer. See what to do after a crash and what your claim may be worth. For the statewide picture, see the most dangerous intersections in Florida.

This guide is educational and not legal advice. Rankings describe aggregate public-record crash patterns over a multi-year window, not the cause of any individual crash.

This is general information about Florida law, not legal advice. Every crash is different — for advice about your situation, talk to a licensed Florida attorney. Reviewed August 10, 2026.