From Journo Research
According to a recent study, Orange County has been ranked as one of the safest counties in the state regarding fatal collisions. The study found that Orange County had the fifth-lowest rate of fatal accidents per capita in Florida, with 0.63% of crashes involving a fatality. Auto Justice Attorney Michael T. Gibson analyzed crash data from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles from 2018 to 2024 to see which Florida counties had the highest rate of fatal crashes.
1. Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade County has the lowest rate of fatal crashes of any county in Florida, with only 0.49% of total crashes involving a fatality. This is 39.3% below the Florida average of 0.81% of crashes involving a fatality. Overall, there were 371,305 crashes in Miami-Dade County, with 1,819 of those being fatal crashes. The rate of crashes involving injuries was 31.8% or 118,096 of 371,305 total, 22.9% below the Florida average of 41.3%.
2. Leon County
Leon County has the second lowest rate of fatal crashes in Florida, with 0.52% of total crashes involving a fatality, 36.1% below the state average for fatal crashes. In total, 202 of the 39,162 total crashes involved a fatality, while 40.7% or 15,940 crashes involved injuries, 1.4% below the state average for crashes involving injuries.
3. Broward County
Broward County is third, with 0.59% of crashes involving a fatality. 1,416 crashes out of 239,136 involved a fatality, 26.6% below the state average for rate of fatal crashes. For crashes involving injuries, 39.3% or 93,993 out of 239,136 crashes involved an injury, 4.7% below the state average for crashes involving injuries.
4. Seminole County
With 0.6% of fatal crashes involving a fatality, Seminole County has the fourth lowest rate of fatal crashes in Florida. 235 out of the 38,996 fatal crashes on Seminole County’s roads involved a fatality, 25.3% below the state average for fatal crashes. 17,672 out of 38,996 crashes involved an injury, a rate of 45.3%, 9.8% above the state average for crashes involving an injury of 41.3%.
5. Orange County
Orange County is fifth, with 0.63% of crashes involving a fatality. Overall, 1,056 out of the 166,886 crashes between 2018 and 2024 involved a fatality, 21.6% below the state average for the rate of fatal crashes. 79,967 of the 166,886 crashes involved an injury; this rate of 47.9% is 16.1% above the state average for the rate of crashes involving injuries.
“Driving is a core part of our daily lives, to the point that it might feel mundane for most drivers," Gibson says. "However, what might start as a regular drive can easily become a serious incident, with an injury or even death always being a possibility.
“A serious crash can significantly disrupt your life, and recovery might be only one of many concerns in the aftermath. If a crash was a result of carelessness or negligence on another driver’s part, Florida law allows people to sue for damages in civil court, which can reduce the financial impact.
“Identifying the counties with the highest rates of fatalities and injuries allows us to see which areas might need additional support in minimizing the rate of crashes involving fatalities and injuries, such as in Glades County. It also lets us see where these rates are lowest and the potential lessons that could be learned to make our roads safer, such as in Miami-Dade county.”
Table showing the percentage of total crashes that involved a fatality for each Florida county and Florida overall from 2018 to 2024, and the difference to the Florida average for the percentage of crashes that involved a fatality for each county. The table is ranked from the lowest percentage of crashes involving a fatality to the highest.
Table showing the percentage of total crashes that involved a fatality for each Florida county and Florida overall from 2018 to 2024, and the difference to the Florida average for the percentage of crashes that involved a fatality for each county. The table is ranked from the lowest percentage of crashes involving a fatality to the highest.
|
Rank % of fatal crashes
|
County
|
Number of fatal crashes
|
Total number of crashes
|
Percentage of total crashes that were fatal
|
The percentage difference to Florida's average
|
|
1.
|
Miami-Dade
|
1,819
|
371,305
|
0.49%
|
-39.3%
|
|
2.
|
Leon
|
202
|
39,162
|
0.52%
|
-36.1%
|
|
3.
|
Broward
|
1,416
|
239,136
|
0.59%
|
-26.6%
|
|
4.
|
Seminole
|
235
|
38,996
|
0.6%
|
-25.3%
|
|
5.
|
Orange
|
1,056
|
166,886
|
0.63%
|
-21.6%
|
|
6.
|
Duval
|
939
|
142,050
|
0.66%
|
-18.1%
|
|
7.
|
Palm Beach
|
1,097
|
152,377
|
0.72%
|
-10.8%
|
|
8.
|
Collier
|
244
|
34,124
|
0.72%
|
-11.4%
|
|
9.
|
Pinellas
|
700
|
96,433
|
0.73%
|
-10.1%
|
|
10.
|
Lee
|
625
|
82,195
|
0.76%
|
-5.8%
|
|
11.
|
St. Lucie
|
238
|
31,419
|
0.76%
|
-6.1%
|
|
12.
|
Hillsborough
|
1,259
|
166,677
|
0.76%
|
-6.4%
|
|
13.
|
Bay
|
199
|
25,549
|
0.78%
|
-3.5%
|
|
14.
|
Sarasota
|
318
|
39,324
|
0.81%
|
+0.2%
|
|
15.
|
Martin
|
143
|
17,285
|
0.83%
|
+2.5%
|
|
16.
|
Okaloosa
|
187
|
20,873
|
0.9%
|
+11%
|
|
17.
|
Clay
|
146
|
16,015
|
0.91%
|
+12.9%
|
|
18.
|
Escambia
|
358
|
38,865
|
0.92%
|
+14.1%
|
|
19.
|
St. Johns
|
199
|
21,667
|
0.92%
|
+13.8%
|
|
20.
|
Brevard
|
511
|
54,884
|
0.93%
|
+15.4%
|
|
21.
|
Alachua
|
308
|
31,681
|
0.97%
|
+20.5%
|
|
22.
|
Santa Rosa
|
124
|
12,769
|
0.97%
|
+20.3%
|
|
23.
|
Osceola
|
364
|
37,584
|
0.97%
|
+20%
|
|
24.
|
Polk
|
787
|
75,334
|
1.04%
|
+29.4%
|
|
25.
|
Monroe
|
89
|
8,566
|
1.04%
|
+28.7%
|
|
26.
|
Charlotte
|
164
|
15,808
|
1.04%
|
+28.5%
|
|
27.
|
Jefferson
|
19
|
1,793
|
1.06%
|
+31.3%
|
|
28.
|
Indian River
|
138
|
13,044
|
1.06%
|
+31.1%
|
|
29.
|
Manatee
|
388
|
36,679
|
1.06%
|
+31.1%
|
|
30.
|
Liberty
|
8
|
742
|
1.08%
|
+33.6%
|
|
31.
|
Lake
|
347
|
30,107
|
1.15%
|
+42.8%
|
|
32.
|
Baker
|
30
|
2,471
|
1.21%
|
+50.4%
|
|
33.
|
Nassau
|
84
|
6,860
|
1.22%
|
+51.7%
|
|
34.
|
Volusia
|
718
|
58,676
|
1.22%
|
+51.6%
|
|
35.
|
Pasco
|
575
|
45,897
|
1.25%
|
+55.2%
|
|
36.
|
Flagler
|
111
|
8,526
|
1.3%
|
+61.3%
|
|
37.
|
Sumter
|
148
|
11,095
|
1.33%
|
+65.3%
|
|
38.
|
Marion
|
536
|
39,538
|
1.36%
|
+68%
|
|
39.
|
Wakulla
|
36
|
2,577
|
1.4%
|
+73.1%
|
|
40.
|
Hernando
|
216
|
15,173
|
1.42%
|
+76.4%
|
|
41.
|
Columbia
|
129
|
8,696
|
1.48%
|
+83.8%
|
|
42.
|
Walton
|
139
|
9,015
|
1.54%
|
+91%
|
|
43.
|
Citrus
|
168
|
10,749
|
1.56%
|
+93.6%
|
|
44.
|
Jackson
|
88
|
5,654
|
1.56%
|
+92.8%
|
|
45.
|
Gadsden
|
76
|
4,827
|
1.57%
|
+95.1%
|
|
46.
|
Madison
|
41
|
2,472
|
1.66%
|
+105.5%
|
|
47.
|
Hamilton
|
37
|
2,046
|
1.81%
|
+124.1%
|
|
48.
|
Washington
|
41
|
2,246
|
1.83%
|
+126.2%
|
|
49.
|
Okeechobee
|
79
|
4,259
|
1.85%
|
+129.8%
|
|
50.
|
Holmes
|
32
|
1,659
|
1.93%
|
+139%
|
|
51.
|
Gulf
|
18
|
876
|
2.05%
|
+154.6%
|
|
52.
|
Taylor
|
39
|
1,891
|
2.06%
|
+155.5%
|
|
53.
|
Highlands
|
145
|
7,055
|
2.06%
|
+154.6%
|
|
54.
|
Hardee
|
63
|
2,933
|
2.15%
|
+166.1%
|
|
55.
|
Lafayette
|
6
|
278
|
2.16%
|
+167.4%
|
|
56.
|
Union
|
20
|
910
|
2.2%
|
+172.3%
|
|
57.
|
Suwannee
|
95
|
4,088
|
2.32%
|
+187.9%
|
|
58.
|
Bradford
|
46
|
1,958
|
2.35%
|
+191.1%
|
|
59.
|
DeSoto
|
79
|
3,245
|
2.43%
|
+201.6%
|
|
60.
|
Levy
|
88
|
3,604
|
2.44%
|
+202.5%
|
|
61.
|
Hendry
|
79
|
3,209
|
2.46%
|
+205%
|
|
62.
|
Gilchrist
|
33
|
1,321
|
2.5%
|
+209.5%
|
|
63.
|
Franklin
|
14
|
547
|
2.56%
|
+217.1%
|
|
64.
|
Putnam
|
170
|
6,600
|
2.58%
|
+219.1%
|
|
65.
|
Calhoun
|
31
|
1,184
|
2.62%
|
+224.4%
|
|
66.
|
Dixie
|
40
|
1,132
|
3.53%
|
+337.8%
|
|
67.
|
Glades
|
39
|
1,021
|
3.82%
|
+373.3%
|
|
|
Florida Overall
|
18,916
|
2,343,627
|
0.81%
|
|
Note: 10 crashes were recorded as happening in DHSMV county, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. These crashes have been included in the Florida Overall figures but have not been listed in the ranking.
