Florida Suffers Biggest Increase of Traffic Fatalities in the Nation

Financially, Florida is looking strong again: the economy is rising, unemployment is dropping and gas prices are shrinking.

There’s an unintended consequence to smiling wallets, however, according to the National Safety Council (NSC). Between seasonal citizens, congested traffic and an influx of tourists, Florida has a long-running reputation for car accidents. The latest NSC study helps solidify that reputation.

Their conclusion: Florida is the No.1 state for traffic fatality increases.

The Sunshine State took hold of this undesirable spot after a 43 percent increase in car accident deaths when comparing the first six months of 2014 to 2016- from 1,114 to 1,590 deaths. Florida’s not an anomaly, though. If the NSC’s calculated predictions stand for the last half of 2016, the country will see its deadliest driving year since 2007.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported an eight percent increase in deaths from 2014 to 2015, totalling 35,200- the largest percent increase in 50 years. But while the numbers are cause for concern, road safety organizations and experts aren’t left dumbfounded as to why.

NSC’s statistics manager Ken Kolosh says this upward trend is (though not exclusively) linked to the: economy, unemployment rates and gas prices. More people working means more daily commuters and more vacations while low gas prices brings back leisure driving and road trips.

Americans drove 3.1 trillion miles in 2015, more than ever before. Between January and June of 2016, Americans covered almost 1.6 trillion miles.

Florida’s crash count is following a similar pattern.

The County of Crashes

Florida’s car accident rate was annually decreasing from 2007 to 2011 (2006 only had 6 less total crashes than 2007). Then in 2012, Florida’s accident rate increased for the first time by more than 55,000 accidents, after bouncing back from the housing market crisis, following suit with Kolosh’s reasoning. From 2012 to 2015, Florida car accidents increased by almost 100,000; the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) anticipates the state will pass last year's total car crash count of more than 374,000.

(Image provided by: Lipcon & Lipcon)

So far this year, Florida car accidents are averaging more than 30,000 per month. Not surprisingly, the most populous county of Miami-Dade is leading in crashes. One in every six crashes is in Miami, averaging 4,000 a month, according to the county. However, if adjusted for population size, this may or may not stay in the No.1 spot.

A study from 2016 by Obrella “looked at how many fatalities resulted from car accidents [by city] and compared the data to population numbers to ascertain how many fatalities there were per 100,000 residents” to find the 40 safest cities. They determined the safest cities were Crawfordville, Lake Butler and Sanford. At No.10- Miami. Miami city, the largest in the county, experienced 10.51 fatalities per 100,000 people in 2014.

Despite all the numbers, it’s a safe assumption no American is wishing for the economy to plunge again, sending unemployment rates up and gas prices down. Of course, while those are a major factor in the increase of crashes and traffic deaths, they’re not the only.

Drunk-driving and speeding remain monumental issues, together causing one in three fatalities in the nation. Almost half of all passengers killed did not have seat belts on. Distracted driving accidents, from texting to using popular apps like Snapchat, are spiking nationwide leading to one in 10 fatalities. Motorcycle deaths increased by eight percent while pedestrian and bicyclists deaths rose to levels not seen for 20 years, all according to the NHTSA.

With a laundry list of accident causes, the one aspect driver’s can control is their own safety habits. Follow posted speed limits and properly wear seat belts, put phones away and minimize any other distractions and never drive while under the influence. Understanding this year’s increased risk of accidents and fatalities is the first step towards making Florida a safe place to drive.

Header image provided by Flickr user: David Oines