Recent Florida Car Accident Statistics

Recent Florida Car Accident Statistics

The roads can be very dangerous. In 2022, after steadily rising from 2018 to 2021, traffic fatalities saw a decline. The number of fatalities dropped from 3741 in 2021 to 3434. Florida had the third most car accidents of any state in America in 2020, with California and Texas coming in first and second. There are a number of reasons car accidents occur, including bad weather, road conditions, and distracted drivers. Heavily populated areas are also more susceptible to car accidents because of the higher concentration of drivers. Hillsborough County, for example, ranks third overall for number of car accidents in Florida counties just behind Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.

There are hundreds of thousands of car accidents in Florida every year. With the exception of 2020, which was drastically impacted by Covid-19 and the lockdown measures of that time, there are an average of around 400,000 car accidents in the state of Florida every year. From 2018-2021 traffic fatalities had been steadily on the rise until 2022 which saw a drop from 3741 fatalities in 2021 down to 3434.

Population density plays an important factor in determining which counties in Florida see the most car accidents. Below are the ten counties that had the most car accidents in 2021. With the thriving city of Tampa being located in Hillsborough, this county ranks third for car accidents followed by Orange County, Palm Beach, and Duval County.

Similar to recent motorcycle accident statistics, March is the most dangerous month to be operating a car in Florida with 36,507 accidents occurring in 2022, followed by October with 34,357 accidents and December with 33,560 accidents.

While the bulk of car accidents involve cars or other motorized vehicles, there are other people sharing the road that can be the source of an accident. Pedestrians and bicyclists for example are involved with 3% and 2% of all car accidents in Florida, respectively. It is vitally important to be aware of those we share the roads with as they can be hard to spot and dart into traffic easily.

Read more about school bus accident statistics.

There are a number of reasons that car accidents occur. Poor weather, road conditions, and road hazards & debris can be a factor. The number of drivers on the road at busier times of day impact the chances of an accident occurring. The age of the driver can also play a role in car accident risk. It has been shown that young drivers and drivers over the age of 65 tend to be at a greater risk of getting into a car accident than those between the ages of 25-65. One of the biggest causes of accidents, however, is distracted driving. Texting and cell phone use remains a significant factor in distracted driving accidents. 6% of Florida car accidents were directly related to someone using their cell phone while operating a vehicle.

Florida law regarding texting while driving is among the most lenient in the nation. First offenses for texting are considered non-moving violations garnering only a $30.00 fine, and police will still need to obtain a search warrant to search the phone for evidence of texting while driving. The law’s penalties remain light when compared to a state such as Oregon, which recently increased its first-time penalties to $1,000 if no crash occurred and $2,500 if a crash occurred.

Other ways that a driver can be distracted while driving include eating, drinking, roadside distractions such as another accident, or in the cabin of the vehicle distractions like a by a passenger.

Learn more about male vs female driving statistics and who causes more car accidents.

Another factor responsible for a significant number of traffic accidents each year, in Florida, is the use of alcohol or drugs by a driver. Statistics on alcohol usage and traffic injuries or fatalities vary from year to year but there are typically around 3000 alcohol-related car accidents in Florida every year where individuals were injured or killed.

At Abrahamson & Uiterwyk, we take driving safety seriously for a reason. In the 30+ years since we opened our doors, we’ve represented more than 20,000 victims who were unnecessarily hurt or killed by someone else’s negligence, mostly in car accidents. If you or a loved one have been injured in a car accident caused by the negligence of someone else, it is important to speak with a car injury attorney near you. They will go over the specific circumstances of your accident to determine if you have a legitimate claim to compensation for any injuries sustained or other costs involved such as loss of wages. Contact Abrahamson & Uiterwyk today for a free consultation and speak with a member of our compassionate and committed injury law team.

If you’ve been in a car accident in Valrico, speak to one of our car accident attorneys in Valrico today.

Sources:
https://www.flhsmv.gov/pdf/crashreports/crash_facts_2021.pdf
https://www.flhsmv.gov/pdf/crashreports/crash_facts_2018.pdf
https://www.flhsmv.gov/traffic-crash-reports/crash-dashboard/