Most people who have lived in or traveled to several states have an opinion on the state with the worst drivers. “Boy, those New York drivers are the worst,” I’ve heard several people exclaim over the 
years. Or, “Don’t go to Florida, they are terrible” is another. Of course we live here, so we have to drive in Florida. What are the numbers on serious, fatal accidents?
Traffic Fatalities – The Numbers
Florida is number 12. That’s not the twelfth best, it’s the twelfth worst. The worst 12 states as far as fatal accidents for 2015 are listed in the table to the right. Overall, there were 35,092 traffic fatalities nationwide in 2015.
Why Wyoming has such a high rate of fatal accidents is hard to figure, so we Googled it and found this from the Casper Star Tribune – “Nearly twice as many people have died on Wyoming highways this year compared with 2013, and increases in oil field traffic and drunken driving may be to blame.”
Back to Florida. County-by-county, the rural counties in Florida have experienced higher rates of fatal accidents per person, and the worst 10 counties are:
Dixie County – Taylor County – Hamilton County – Washington County – Jefferson County
Madison County – Suwannee County – Walton County – Sumter County – Calhoun County
This phenomena we cannot find a definitive cause for, but it seems reasonable that the more populated counties would have faster response time from paramedics and better access to nearby trauma facilities. Metropolitan trauma centers are often able to save the lives of very seriously injured accident victims if they are able to attend to them quickly.
Traffic Fatalities – The Causes
We know the numbers, now what about the causes.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the top causes are failure to keep in proper lane, failure to yield right-of-way, reckless or careless driving, and over-correcting. But what the numbers don’t tell us is what causes people to commit those mistakes, and most experts blame it on distracted driving – texting, etc.
Florida Accident Attorneys
We deal with victims of serious accidents and all too often, with the families of victims who were killed in serious accidents. It is a horrible experience we wish no one had to endure. Please don’t be one of the statistic like the ones in this article. Focus on the road and not your phone. Never, ever text while you’re driving.
If you or someone you know has been involved in a serious car, motorcycle, or truck accident we would be happy to sit down and listen. Our consultations are always confidential and we will offer our evaluation and then recommend a course of action that we feel is best for your individual situation. Please call us any time at 954-356-0006 and thank you.
Recent Comments