Driving is a necessity, especially in Miami-Dade County and Collier Counties, but if you’re in a Florida car accident, what can you do? The simple fact is that millions of accidents happen across the United States each year because of careless driving, reckless driving, negligence, and occasionally circumstances beyond a driver’s control, like a lightning strike while driving.
Every time you get behind the wheel, it’s important to drive safely and do whatever you can to avoid an accident or collision. You may think it’s something that will never happen to you, but car accidents are more common than you may think, especially in Florida.
This overview of Florida Crash Statistics for 2022 should provide you with a clearer picture of the impact that car accidents have in our state and where and how they occur. If you have been injured in an automobile or trucking accident and need advice on what steps you should take, our caring and experienced team at Weinstein & Cohen can help.
State of Florida Crash Statistics for 2022
According to preliminary data from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, here are the key 2022 Florida Car Accident Statistics:
- 381,156 total crashes across the state
- 242,622 injuries from all crashes
- 3,292 fatalities from all crashes
- 9,741 crashes involving pedestrians resulting in 693 fatalities
- 102,568 hit and run crashes, resulting in 255 fatalities and 22,309 injuries
These statistics were based on crash data from January 01, 2022, to December 29, 2002, and are preliminary as of December 31, 2022.
How Often Do Car Accidents Happen in Florida?
For the current 2022 reporting period, there was an average of 1,050 accidents per day. Furthermore, there was an average of 668 injuries per day and 9 fatalities per day.
What Types of Accidents Were Most Common
- 9,741 accidents involving pedestrians
- 8,899 accidents involving motorcycles
- 6,960 accidents involving bicycles
- Rear-end collisions are by far the most common
- Left-turn collisions, particularly at intersections
- Sideswipe, commonly due to lane-change collisions
- Single vehicle accidents
- Head-on collisions, usually because of reckless driving
- 4,829 impaired accidents involved alcohol, while an additional 201 involved alcohol and drugs, and 369 involved drugs only
Where Do Accidents Happen the Most?
As many would expect, accidents occur most frequently in metropolitan areas due to the high volume and density of drivers, combined with the higher speeds of highways and expressways. According to the 2022 statistics, counties with high volumes of car accidents included:
- Miami-Dade County, 61319 total crashes
- Broward County, 33300 total crashes
- Hillsborough county, 27838 total crashes
- Orange County, 25539 total crashes
- Palm Beach County, 24412 total crashes
- Duval County, 23996 total crashes
- Pinellas County, 15325 total crashes
What Injuries Occur After Car Accidents?
The most common injuries include:
- Neck injuries
- Bone fractures
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Psychological trauma and anxiety
As a no-fault state, Florida drivers are required to have personal injury protection insurance, which pays 80% of the first $10,000 in medical bills regardless of who caused the accident. If you own a vehicle in Florida that is licensed to go on the streets (car, truck, motorcycle, golf cart or RV), you need to consider, and in most cases, you are required, to purchase insurance before registering your vehicle. In general Florida requires only Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and Property Damage (PD) for a car or truck. Motorcycles do not require insurance. A golf cart does not require insurance, but a golf cart is NOT permitted on the road. Golf carts have no license plate and often lack the turn signals and safety equipment required to safely and legally operate on the roads. Slow speed vehicles (which often look like golf carts) require the same insurance as a car. Always ask your insurance agent whether insurance is required for your specific vehicle. Before deciding on insurance, learn what the various types of insurance do so you can make an informed choice.
Contact Information
At Weinstein & Cohen, we have more than 50 years of combined experience fighting for accident victim’s rights. Our experienced Miami and Naples accident attorneys at Weinstein & Cohen will put your priorities first. If you or someone you care about has been injured or involved in an accident across South Florida or Southwest Florida, contact the Miami and Naples personal injury lawyers at Weinstein & Cohen at 305-374-1011 or 239-793-3331, or visit fairnessforall.com for an absolutely free legal consultation to learn more about your options.