(The Center Square) — Florida could be on pace in 2023 to have its fewest deaths from automobile accidents in five years.
So far this year, Florida has had 160,804 vehicle crashes, including those involving bicycles and pedestrians. There have been 1,371 fatalities according to the official numbers released by Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
A graph using data from the state of Florida that shows auto accident deaths from 2018 to 2023.
Despite only being halfway through June, FLHSMV reports that there have only been 122 crashes, far less than January — which had 32,500 crashes. February had 31,428 crashes, and March hit a high of 35,700 crashes. The numbers dipped in April to 32,806 and then even further in May to 28,248 crashes.
In total 102,952 people were injured in an accident involving a motor vehicle, and motorcyclists have had 4,164 crashes, with 240 fatalities.
According to the data, the vast majority of crashes between January and June 2023 happened down the east coast of the state, especially in tourist hotspots like Orange and Seminole counties. Several counties in South Florida — including Miami-Dade, Palm Beach County and Broward — are among the most dangerous driving spots in the state.
Seminole County sits at the top of the list for worst accident rates per county, with 2,589 crashes between January and June 2023 with 22 fatalities. Hamilton County, on the border of Georgia with a population of only 13,217, had 150 crashes and two fatalities within the past six months.
Duval County had a total of 9,942 crashes and 64 fatalities, while Miami-Dade County came in with the most fatalities in the state with 25,674 crashes in total involving a motor vehicle and 150 fatalities. Madison County, which has a small population of around 18,198 people had 176 crashes and six fatalities.
According to 10-year data from the Florida Department of Health’s Bureau of Vital Statistics, deaths from motor vehicle crashes have progressively worsened with deaths reaching a high of 3,863 in 2021. In comparison, 2012 had approximately 2,392 deaths — the lowest over the past decade.
The COVID-related shutdowns also did nothing to slow down fatalities, as Americans flocked to Florida for vacations while most of the U.S. remained closed — 2020 had 3,484 deaths on the road — only slightly higher than 2019 (3,273 deaths).
On June 2, the FLHSMV and the Florida Highway Patrol launched their annual Safe Summer Travel Campaign to drive those numbers down during the state’s peak season and to remind those visiting the Sunshine State and Floridians to keep safety as a top priority while driving.
