An Analysis of Fatal Car Accident Statistics in Florida

Every year, thousands of people are killed in motor vehicle collisions across the state of Florida.  Unfortunately, after decades of steady decline, traffic deaths have begun steadily increasing year over year.   In 2021 alone, 3,738 people were killed on Florida roadways – an increase of 12 percent over the previous year and 20 percent over 2017.

Why have deaths increased so precipitously, even through a global pandemic that saw vehicle traffic reduced?

There are a myriad of reasons, including an increase in pedestrian fatalities and risky driving behaviors.

However, not all areas of Florida have experienced the same level of increase.  While we recently examined exactly which Florida roads were most deadly, which counties see the most traffic fatalities? Which counties have been impacted by traffic safety issues the most?  We answer those questions and more below.

Which Florida Counties Have the Deadliest Roads?

We examined five years of Florida crash data, covering the years 2017 – 2021.  In terms of total traffic deaths, the most populous counties lead the way.  Miami-Dade with 1,541 deaths of the five year period, Broward with 1,224, Hillsborough with 1,067, Orange with 929, and Palm Beach with 918.

Use the map below to explore Florida car accident fatality statistics by county. Hover over each county to reveal more information.

However, when adjusted for population, Glades, Hamilton, Hardee, Putnam, and Okeechobee counties occupy the top five spots.    By this metric, Miami-Dade County has the fifth lowest traffic death rate at 11.53, only Santa Rosa, Clay, Collier, and Seminole counties had lower fatality rates.

Use the map below to explore fatal crash rates in Florida. Hover over each county to reveal more information.

Table: Florida County Fatal Crash Statistics

The table below contains all data shown in the two maps above.

In Which Counties Have Car Accident Deaths Increased the Most?

At the state level, car accident fatalities in Florida increased by just over 20 percent from 2017 to 2021.  During that time, 13 counties experienced changes of at least double the state average, led by Calhoun, Madison, Union, Hendry, and Highlands Counties.  While most of these 13 counties are relatively sparsely populated, Hillsborough, Polk, and Collier counties – all with over 350,000 people –  were included in this list.  In particular, Hillsborough County – encompassing cities like Tampa and Brandon – increased by 42 percent, going from 190 traffic deaths in 2017 to 270 in 2021.  Tampa car accident deaths increased by a substantial margin as well, going from 52 to 79 during the observation period.

On the other hand, car accident deaths actually decreased in 22 Florida counties, led by Gulf, Lafayette, Glades, Hamilton, and Taylor counties.  Again, most of these are smaller counties, yet Seminole County, with a population of nearly 500,000 – and Pasco County – with a population of over 600,000 – were on this list.

Table: Florida Traffic Deaths From 2017-2021

Below, we list the data for each Florida county, along with crash death totals for each year of the observation period.

Data Sources and Fair Use

This analysis is based on fatal collision data from the years 2017 – 2021, collected from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  If you would like to use any of the data, images, or maps contained on this page, please provide a link to this page to provide attribution to our firm.