With 22.6 million residents and a record 140 million visitors in 2023, Florida’s roads carry the weight of one of America’s busiest travel ecosystems. That constant motion comes with a cost. According to a new statewide analysis from The Schiller Kessler Group, 3,396 people were killed in Florida motor vehicle crashes in 2023, 8.3% of the nation’s 40,901 fatalities. The study pinpoints the main causes, where the risks are highest, who’s most affected, and what interventions would meaningfully cut deaths.
Four Behaviors That Drive Florida’s Fatalities
Study data show an unmistakable pattern: driver choices are the leading problem, and the leading solution.
- Drunk driving: 839 deaths — the single biggest contributor.
- Unbelted occupants: 811 deaths — nearly as deadly as alcohol.
- Speeding: 349 deaths — raises crash likelihood and severity.
- Distracted driving: 277 deaths — a growing threat as screens invade the cockpit.
Together, alcohol and seat belt nonuse alone account for 48.6% of all Florida traffic deaths. “These are preventable tragedies,” said a spokesperson for the study. “If we reduce impaired driving and raise seat-belt use, we save hundreds of Floridians every year, immediately.”
What Hits First Often Decides the Outcome
The analysis also examined “first harmful events”—the initial impact that causes injury, death, or property damage:
- Collision with a moving motor vehicle: 1,489 deaths
- Pedestrians: 740 deaths
- Pedalcyclists: 231 deaths
- Fixed objects—trees: 163 deaths
- Fixed objects—curbs: 150 deaths
These figures reveal two realities. First, multi-vehicle interactions at speed are unforgiving, especially in congested corridors. Second, Florida’s most vulnerable road users, people walking and cycling, face disproportionate danger, underscoring the need for lighting, crosswalks, refuge islands, speed management, and driver awareness in pedestrian-heavy areas. Fixed-object deaths highlight loss-of-control scenarios linked to speeding, distraction, impairment, and risky geometry.
Who’s Dying, and Why It Matters
- By gender: 2,250 men vs. 842 women (with a small number unknown). Men’s overrepresentation aligns with higher rates of speeding, impairment, and nonuse of seat belts, as well as greater exposure (more miles driven).
- By age:
- 25–34: 620 deaths (highest)
- 35–44: 505 deaths
- 55–64: 455 deaths
- 15–20: 268 deaths; 21–24: 218 deaths
- 65+: 756 deaths
- Under 15: 94 deaths
- Unknown: 65
- 25–34: 620 deaths (highest)
Young and middle-aged adults, Florida’s commuting core, face the highest counts due to exposure and risk-taking. Seniors remain highly vulnerable to crash forces and medical complications. Children’s deaths underscore the urgency of child passenger safety and school-zone protections.
Where the Risks Are Concentrated
Five counties accounted for over 30% of Florida’s fatalities in 2023:
- Miami-Dade: 329
- Hillsborough (Tampa): 231
- Broward (Fort Lauderdale): 207
- Orange (Orlando): 175
- Duval (Jacksonville): 166
These are Florida’s population and tourism powerhouses, home to South Beach, Busch Gardens, Fort Lauderdale Beach, Walt Disney World, and Jacksonville’s beaches. High density, tourist traffic, complex highway systems, and fast-paced urban commutes combine to elevate crash exposure.
What Florida Can Do Now
The study outlines a focused playbook to reverse the trend:
- Zero-tolerance impaired-driving blitzes with high-visibility checkpoints, ignition interlocks for DUI offenders, and expanded late-night ride options near nightlife districts.
- Primary seat-belt enforcement + in-vehicle tech nudges (persistent belt alerts), employer fleet policies, and insurer incentives to raise buckling rates.
- Speed management: automated enforcement in high-injury networks; self-enforcing designs (narrowed lanes, gateway treatments, raised crosswalks) where pedestrians mix with traffic.
- Vulnerable road user protection: lighting, mid-block crossings, refuge islands, leading pedestrian intervals, and protected bike lanes where volumes warrant.
- Tourism surge planning: seasonally targeted patrols, dynamic message signs about impairment and speed, and curb-management near attractions.
- Young driver safety: strengthen graduated licensing communications, school/college campaigns on impairment and distraction, and peer-led engagement.
- Roadside forgiveness: remove/relocate rigid hazards where feasible; add barriers or energy-absorbing devices on high-risk segments.
These are not mysteries. The most lethal behaviors are the most fixable, the report concludes. With focused enforcement, forgiving streets, and persistent public education, Florida can cut fatalities dramatically, without waiting a decade.
