The sad reality is that too many motorists fail to drive as carefully as they should. Despite how safely you and your loved ones drive, you can still end up in a car accident due to someone else’s actions.
Florida experiences higher rates of accidents than many other states. To gain a better idea of how frequently car accidents in Florida occur, take a look at these Florida car accident statistics. They also serve as a cautionary reminder to stay alert while out on the roads.
How many accidents happen in Florida every year?
Every year in the United States, millions of people are involved in car crashes. Several state and federal agencies carefully track and analyze accident statistics to gain a better understanding of where the accidents occur and what caused them.
With so many accidents to track and analyze, agencies typically cannot publish their reports for a couple of years. While we don’t yet have the 2020 data, we can take a look at statistics from 2019.
According to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles annual report in 2019, Florida alone accounted for 401,867 total crashes. While there was a slight drop in accidents from 2018 to 2019 (-0.44%), this is still a staggering number of accidents to occur in one state. Florida averaged over 1,100 accidents per day in 2019.
2019 Florida Car Accident Fatalities
In 2019, 3,185 people lost their lives to crashes in Florida. Like any tragic passing, these accidents not only affected the deceased but their family, friends, and other loved ones.
What makes these deaths even harder for loved ones is that these accidents were often preventable. It’s not only motorists affected by crashes; take a look at these key car accident fatalities from 2019:
- 521 motorcyclist fatalities
- 734 pedestrian fatalities
- 156 bicyclist fatalities
- 19 other non-motorist fatalities
Sadly, there was an increase in car accident fatalities in Florida from 2018 to 2019. Florida has one of the leading traffic fatality rates in the whole country at 14.7 deaths per 100,000 people.
Key Florida Car Accident Statistics from 2019
Florida car accident statistics reveal a frightening scene of just how often crashes occur in the state:
- Out of 401,867 total crashes, 2,951 were fatal
- 59% of crashes resulted in an injury
- 7.6% of injuries incapacitated the victim
- 21% of fatal crashes involved confirmed driver usage of alcohol or drugs
- Nearly 46% of all accident fatalities were suffered by vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists
- 354 fatalities of drivers and passengers who were not wearing any type of seat belt.
- Drivers aged 21 to 24 were involved in 62,729 crashes
What You Can Do to Prevent Car Crashes
These statistics serve as a grim reminder of the importance of driving cautiously and defensively year-round. To help lower the number of crashes, injuries, and fatalities, every Florida driver can do their part by doing the following:
- Never text and drive
- Never drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Ensure you’ve had enough rest before driving
- Limit distractions in the vehicle
- Follow posted speed limits and road rules
- Drive defensively
- Maintain a proper distance from other motorists
- Avoid driving through the night if possible
These safety tips may seem like basic knowledge. However, they can go a long way in preventing future car accidents, injuries, and fatalities.
Know Your Rights as a Car Accident Victim
If you or a loved one have been in a car accident, it can be an incredibly frustrating and stressful experience. On top of dealing with the aftermath of the crash including injuries, recovery, and dealing with insurance agencies, you may also have a mountain of medical bills waiting for you.
Rather than leaving your possibility of recovering compensation to chance, turn to a trusted and experienced Florida auto accident lawyer. At Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey, and Fronrath, our goal is to fight for justice on behalf of car accident victims and ensure they receive just compensation for their injuries.
Get help now by scheduling a risk-free case evaluation. Call us at (561) 655-1990. We look forward to assisting you.
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