Florida Traffic Fatalities Fall to a Record Low

Florida’s crash fatality rate dropped last year to the lowest rate on record. The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles provides details on that statistic and much more in its Traffic Crash Statistics Report 2009. The report summarizes data that state and local law enforcement agencies submit to DHSMV.

“The report shows that we are moving toward the Department’s vision of a safer Florida,” said DHSMV Executive Director Julie L. Jones. “While multiple factors influence the numbers, the declining trends are a testament to the emphasis that law enforcement agencies, safety advocates and businesses have placed on saving lives on our roadways. DHSMV will continue to work with our safety partners to add to the momentum we have gained in recent years so that we continue to see crashes, deaths and injuries decline in years to come.”

Some positive trends the report highlights include:

• Crash-related fatalities on Florida roadways decreased 14 percent between 2008 and 2009, from 2, 983 to 2, 563. This is the fourth consecutive year that traffic fatalities have decreased.
• The number of deaths per 100 million miles traveled dropped to 1.3 last year – the lowest the state has ever reported. As a note of comparison, the rate was 5.8 deaths per 100 million miles 40 years ago.
• Alcohol-related traffic fatalities fell by 14 percent between 2008 and 2009 from 1,169 to 1,004.
• Motorcycle fatalities (drivers and passengers) dove 24 percent between 2008 and 2009 from 532 to 402.
• Bicyclist and passenger fatalities decreased 15 percent between 2008 and 2009 from 118 to 100.
• Pedestrian fatalities decreased four percent between 2008 and 2009 from 502 to 482.
• Fatalities of teen drivers and passengers, ages 15-19, fell significantly by more than 20 percent between 2008 and 2009 from 193 to 153. Teen drivers continue to over represent in terms of crash frequency, posting the highest rate of crash involvement of any age cohort at 381 per 10,000 licensed drivers.

A complete copy of the Traffic Crash Statistics Report 2009 is available at www.flhsmv.gov/html/safety.html under Traffic Crash Facts. The website also provides the report from previous years.