Car accidents and automobile crashes occur daily throughout Orlando, Central Florida and the State of Florida every day. Yet what are the actual number of car crashes and where do most of them occur? The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) collects auto accident data, updates it daily and makes it available to the public for free. This provides residents, government officials and the media updated real time statistics to analyze trends and make accurate decisions regarding safety. In addition to reporting the car crash numbers, the DHSMV also posts all of the citations and traffic tickets that were issued. These can be searched (and then printed or downloaded) by year, Florida County, agency type, violation classification, violation groups and violation codes.
Please note that in an effort to prevent fraudulent claims being filed and to protect the privacy of car accident victims, Section 316.066 of the Florida Statutes prevents public disclosure of the specifics for sixty days after a report is filed. The law does, however, allow the accident reports to be made available immediately to involved parties (and their insurance companies and attorneys) including all of their personal information. Additionally, the statute makes it a criminal offense (a 3rd degree felony) to disclose or obtain personal confidential information regarding auto accident victims.
2017 Auto Crash Statistics for Florida
Analyzing the auto accidents statewide so far in 2017 reveals some astonishing statistics. The totals are far beyond what perhaps the general public is aware of. Some examples to date:
– Total Car Crashes: 258,672
– Crashes That Resulted in an Injury: 107,113
– Total Injuries Related to Crashes: 163,402 (This means that 1.5 persons were injured per car crash that resulted in an injury.)
– Total Deaths and Fatalities Resulting From Auto Accidents: 1,799
– Crashes Resulting in Property Damage: 149,760
– Crashes Involving a Commercial Vehicle: 29,472
– Accidents Involving a Pedestrian: 5,713
– Accidents Resulting in a Pedestrian Fatality: 384
– Car Accidents Involving a Bicycle: 4,422
– Car Accidents Resulting in a Bicycle Fatality: 73
2017 Auto Crash Statistics for Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Lake Counties
The Orlando Metropolitan Area and what many consider Central Florida is basically composed of four counties: Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Lake Counties. To place the 2017 statistics in proper perspective, let’s do a comparison of these 4 counties and then add them together as a representation of what is happening in Central Florida in regards to automobile accidents.
Orange County:
– Total Car Crashes: 20,059
– Crashes That Resulted in an Injury: 8,969
– Total Injuries Related to Crashes: 14,158
– Total Deaths and Fatalities Resulting From Auto Accidents: 121
– Crashes Resulting in Property Damage: 10,978
– Crashes Involving a Commercial Vehicle: 2,250
– Accidents Involving a Pedestrian: 442
– Accidents Resulting in a Pedestrian Fatality: 41
– Car Accidents Involving a Bicycle: 314
– Car Accidents Resulting in a Bicycle Fatality: 4
Seminole County:
– Total Car Crashes: 4,585
– Crashes That Resulted in an Injury: 2,034
– Total Injuries Related to Crashes: 2,961
– Total Deaths and Fatalities Resulting From Auto Accidents: 33
– Crashes Resulting in Property Damage: 2,519
– Crashes Involving a Commercial Vehicle: 442
– Accidents Involving a Pedestrian: 90
– Accidents Resulting in a Pedestrian Fatality: 6
– Car Accidents Involving a Bicycle: 71
– Car Accidents Resulting in a Bicycle Fatality: 3
Lake County:
– Total Car Crashes: 3,031
– Crashes That Resulted in an Injury: 1,466
– Total Injuries Related to Crashes: 2,304
– Total Deaths and Fatalities Resulting From Auto Accidents: 28
– Crashes Resulting in Property Damage: 1,538
– Crashes Involving a Commercial Vehicle: 383
– Accidents Involving a Pedestrian: 74
– Accidents Resulting in a Pedestrian Fatality: 4
– Car Accidents Involving a Bicycle: 34
– Car Accidents Resulting in a Bicycle Fatality: 0
Osceola County:
– Total Car Crashes: 4,320
– Crashes That Resulted in an Injury: 2,121
– Total Injuries Related to Crashes: 3,428
– Total Deaths and Fatalities Resulting From Auto Accidents: 34
– Crashes Resulting in Property Damage: 2,166
– Crashes Involving a Commercial Vehicle: 443
– Accidents Involving a Pedestrian: 87
– Accidents Resulting in a Pedestrian Fatality: 10
– Car Accidents Involving a Bicycle: 69
– Car Accidents Resulting in a Bicycle Fatality: 1
2017 Auto Crash Statistics for Orlando Metropolitan Area and Central Florida
– Total Car Crashes: 31,995
– Crashes That Resulted in an Injury: 14,590
– Total Injuries Related to Crashes: 22,851
– Total Deaths and Fatalities Resulting From Auto Accidents: 218
– Crashes Resulting in Property Damage: 17,201
– Crashes Involving a Commercial Vehicle: 3,518
– Accidents Involving a Pedestrian: 693
– Accidents Resulting in a Pedestrian Fatality: 61
– Car Accidents Involving a Bicycle: 488
– Car Accidents Resulting in a Bicycle Fatality: 8
The Point of Reviewing Car Crash Statistics
Why take the time to review the statistics related to car crashes and auto accidents in Metro Orlando and Central Florida? The answer is to put in perspective the ever increasing frequency and damage that such incidents cause. Remember to take into account the exponentially expanding population growth seen in Central Florida and the numbers can only continue to increase. According to the US Census Bureau over 73,000 new residents moved into the Orlando area in 2016. Metropolitan Orlando and Orange County grew the most with 60,000 new residents, but substantial population increases were seen in Osceola, Seminole and Lake Counties also. Even more significant could be the fact that over 16,000 new residents arrived in Central Florida from outside of the United States. According to CNN, Orlando ranks as one of the top four cities for population expansion over the past five years. Additionally, as reported by the Orlando Economic Development Commission (EDC), “Orlando had the largest growth rate in terms of population when you look at the top 30 markets in the United States”. Don’t forget the always increasing number of tourists who vacation in the Central Florida and Orlando area and drive rental cars, and the conclusion one has to make is that the number of car crashes and automobile accidents will continue to significantly rise.
Car accidents and automobile collisions are at best simply a hassle, but at times can be a life changing event that results in significant damages. Fatalities and permanent damage may not be the norm, but as the statistics above show, almost 300 people died so far this year in Central Florida as a result of a car crash. Additionally, over 17,000 auto accidents in Metro Orlando resulted in property damage. The scary part is that even if you take the very best precautions to ensure that you are a safe driver, chances are ever increasing that you will still be involved in a car crash while residing in Central Florida at some point in your future. Whether the cause is a local resident texting while driving or a tourist having a hard time finding their destination (and looking at a map and driving at the same time), the odds of being in auto accident are ever increasing.
Car Crash and Auto Accident Attorney
If you or someone that you care about is involved in a car crash that results in significant injuries or even death, please consider contacting The Law Office of Mark A. Risi, PA. Our experienced car accident attorneys have been serving clients throughout Central Florida for over twenty five years, with clients in Orlando, Winter Park, Kissimmee, Cocoa Beach, Melbourne, Daytona Beach, Leesburg and many other locations. Whether you’re a local resident, or in Central Florida on business, or simply visiting from out of state on vacation, our experienced Orlando car accident attorneys can help you receive the compensation you deserve.
At the Law Office of Mark A. Risi we pride ourselves in providing quality and aggressive legal representation on behalf of our clients. We take pride in providing personal service to our clients in all personal injury cases in Orlando, Central Florida and throughout the state of Florida. For an absolutely free consultation with no risk or obligation, please feel free to call us at (407) 423-1313 or contact us online and we will answer any questions that you may have. We would be honored to work for you to obtain the best settlement possible.
