To date, Florida is one of the most populous states in the U.S., only surpassed by California and Texas. Out of Florida’s 275,376 miles of road, MoneyGeek analyzed 2,933 roads to determine which were deadliest to drivers. We looked at the state’s 8,965 fatal accidents from 2018–2020 — the most recent years of available data.

Our analysis also examined factors that contribute to fatal accidents in Florida, including speeding, drunk driving, distracted driving and time of year. Additionally, MoneyGeek analyzed fatal crash data for all of Florida's counties and identified the deadliest stretch of road in each.

Key Findings

  • US-19 from San Marco Drive to Denton Avenue is the deadliest stretch of road in Florida. The road is located in Pasco County and had 28 fatal accidents.

  • Drunk driving contributed to more fatal accidents than speeding and distracted driving combined. In Florida, fatal accidents caused by drunk driving was up 9% since 2019. Distracted driving is a growing issue: there were 14% more fatal accidents due to distracted driving since 2019. In contrast, deadly speeding-related accidents decreased by 5%.

  • Florida's roads have become deadlier: from 2019 to 2020, roads in Florida saw 5% more fatal accidents and 148 more fatalities.

  • December had more fatal accidents than any other month, with 848 fatal accidents. March is the second-deadliest month for Florida drivers with 824 fatal accident for the three years studied.

  • March is the worst month for deadly crashes involving distracted driving, while December has the highest number of drunk-driving related fatal accidents. Fatal accidents related to speeding occur most in May.

  • Miami-Dade had more fatal accidents than any other county. US-1 was its deadliest road.

10 Deadliest Road Stretches in Florida


  • DEADLIEST ROAD IN FLORIDA
    US-19 from San Marco Drive to Denton Avenue
    Pasco County
    US-19 from San Marco Drive to Denton Avenue
    • Fatal Accidents:28
    • fatalities:28
    • Crashes Per Mile:5.7
    • distance:4.9 miles
  • US-41 from 30th Avenue East to Pearl Avenue
    Bradenton
    US-41 from 30th Avenue East to Pearl Avenue
    • Fatal Accidents:19
    • fatalities:20
    • Crashes Per Mile:4.3
    • distance:4.4 miles
  • I-95 from Hypoluxo Road to Woolbright Road
    Lantana | Boynton Beach
    I-95 from Hypoluxo Road to Woolbright Road
    • Fatal Accidents:17
    • fatalities:18
    • Crashes Per Mile:4.3
    • distance:4.0 miles
  • I-95 from Exit 27 to Exit 32
    Fort Lauderdale | Sunrise | Oakland Park
    I-95 from Exit 27 to Exit 32
    • Fatal Accidents:17
    • fatalities:17
    • Crashes Per Mile:3.4
    • distance:5.0 miles
  • US-19 from Queensboro Avenue South to 54th Avenue North
    St. Petersburg | Largo
    US-19 from Queensboro Avenue South to 54th Avenue North
    • Fatal Accidents:17
    • fatalities:17
    • Crashes Per Mile:3.6
    • distance:4.7 miles
  • I-95 from Exit 4 to Exit 9
    Miami
    I-95 from Exit 4 to Exit 9
    • Fatal Accidents:15
    • fatalities:19
    • Crashes Per Mile:3.2
    • distance:4.7 miles
  • US-441 from Northwest 181st Street to Polk Street
    Miami Gardens | Hollywood | Miramar | Miami
    US-441 from Northwest 181st Street to Polk Street
    • Fatal Accidents:15
    • fatalities:18
    • Crashes Per Mile:3.0
    • distance:4.9 miles
  • US-19 from High Street to Embassy Boulevard
    Port Richey | New Port Richey
    US-19 from High Street to Embassy Boulevard
    • Fatal Accidents:15
    • fatalities:16
    • Crashes Per Mile:3.6
    • distance:4.2 miles
  • I-95 from Exit 20 to Exit 16
    Pembroke Pines | Hollywood | Hallandale Beach | Miami
    I-95 from Exit 20 to Exit 16
    • Fatal Accidents:15
    • fatalities:15
    • Crashes Per Mile:3.4
    • distance:4.4 miles
  • US-90 from Meadowbrook Boulevard to Parental Home Road
    Jacksonville
    US-90 from Meadowbrook Boulevard to Parental Home Road
    • Fatal Accidents:15
    • fatalities:15
    • Crashes Per Mile:3.3
    • distance:4.5 miles

Drunk Driving Involved in 21.2% of Fatal Accidents

Of the 8,965 fatal crashes in Florida between 2018 and 2020, 1,903 were connected to drunk driving.

Drunk driving was involved in 21.2% of the state’s fatal accidents, outnumbering those involving both speeding and distracted driving combined.

Having alcohol in your blood can severely affect your behavior behind the wheel and endangers yourself and others. You can be visibly impaired, even if your blood alcohol concentration is only 0.2%. If it reaches 0.8%, the state of Florida officially considers you legally intoxicated.

The costs of drunk driving are numerous, even when it doesn’t involve a fatal accident. A DUI charge can result in restricted driving privileges and even possible jail time. Finding cheap car insurance after a DUI can also be challenging; you need to carry FR-44 insurance in Florida if you have a DUI, which is more expensive than other types of coverage.

Speeding Is a Factor in 8.9% of Fatal Crashes

Speeding-related crashes made up 8.9% of fatal accidents in Florida. That translates to 797 crashes between 2018 and 2020.

There are multiple consequences for driving above the allowable speed limit in Florida. These include increased difficulty in making quick stops, often leading drivers to lose control of their cars. It results in a high likelihood of severe injuries or even fatal car accidents.

Distracted Driving Contributed to 8.1% of Fatal Accidents

Distracted driving was involved in 726 of the total fatal car crashes in Florida from 2018 to 2020. To lower these numbers, Florida enacted a hands-free law in 2019. Law enforcement officers started apprehending and issuing citations to drivers caught texting while behind the wheel on January 1, 2020.

December Had More Fatal Accidents Than Any Other Month

In the three years studied, December had the highest number of fatal accidents. There were 848 crashes in that state recorded that month resulting in fatalities — that’s 9.5% of Florida’s fatal crashes. March had the second-highest number of fatal accidents (9.2%), followed by October (8.8%).

Average Fatal Accidents by Month
Month
Fatal Accidents
Drunk Driving Related
Distracted Driving Related
Winter Conditions
Speeding Related
% of Total

January

767

160

51

0

62

8.6%

February

750

130

56

0

64

8.4%

March

824

178

79

0

70

9.2%

April

697

153

62

0

57

7.8%

May

774

150

59

0

83

8.6%

June

733

170

66

0

72

8.2%

July

611

142

58

0

57

6.8%

August

665

141

44

0

59

7.4%

September

722

164

58

0

71

8.1%

October

790

162

66

0

73

8.8%

November

784

164

61

0

55

8.7%

December

848

189

66

0

74

9.5%

Driving Safely Protects You, Others and Your Wallet

Being a safe driver comes with multiple benefits. Aside from making Florida’s roadways safer, you also ensure fewer expenses in the long term. But sometimes accidents happen, regardless of how many precautions you take.

This reality makes having insurance essential. A full coverage car insurance policy could help protect you, your car and your family against possible costs of damages if such an unfortunate event occurs.

Drivers pay an average of $2,208 per year for full coverage car insurance in Florida, but your premium is subject to change depending on where you live. For instance, auto insurance in Hialeah costs an annual average rate of $2,812 for coverage. In comparison, a car insurance policy in Tallahassee is $1,331 less — similar coverage in that city only costs $1,481. Meanwhile, auto insurance in Jacksonville — Florida’s most populous city — is $1,739 per year, on average.

Car insurance companies use a variety of factors to set premiums. These include your age, driving history and credit standing. The best way to find cheap car insurance in Florida is to gather and compare quotes from multiple carriers.

Fatal Accidents and Most Dangerous Roads: County Breakdown

From 2018 to 2020, the five counties with the highest numbers of deadly crashes made up one-third of all accidents resulting in deaths in Florida. That’s 3,115 accidents recorded from the three most recent years of available data.

Among Florida's 67 counties, Miami-Dade was the site of the highest number of fatal crashes of any county, with 849 accidents in total. Most of these occurred along US-1 and involved speeding or drunk driving.

Fatal Accidents and Contributing Factors By County
County
Fatal Accidents
Drunk Driving Related
Distracted Driving Related
Speeding Related
Most Deadly Road (Fatal Accidents)

Miami-Dade

849

88

31

65

US-1 (48)

Broward

688

93

25

66

I-95 (56)

Hillsborough

573

149

45

79

SR-60 (43)

Palm Beach

510

67

21

64

I-95 (56)

Orange

495

103

87

31

SR-50 (53)

Duval

459

119

23

27

I-295 (46)

Volusia

350

70

26

31

US-1 (38)

Polk

346

82

24

31

SR-60 (33)

Pinellas

335

70

27

37

US-19 (55)

Pasco

289

54

18

18

US-19 (59)

Lee

277

63

33

36

US-41 (43)

Marion

253

75

26

23

SR-40 (25)

Brevard

227

54

19

26

US-1 (54)

Manatee

186

40

10

19

US-41 (34)

Osceola

179

39

31

8

US-192 (41)

Escambia

171

32

12

8

US-90 (26)

Lake

165

49

19

15

US-27 (21)

Sarasota

155

45

8

13

US-41 (37)

Alachua

147

40

10

8

US-441 (20)

Collier

122

30

22

16

I-75 (18)

St. Lucie

110

32

5

9

US-1 (12)

Seminole

110

16

14

13

SR-436 (14)

Hernando

100

20

7

7

US-19 (19)

Okaloosa

99

19

18

6

US-98 (31)

St. Johns

97

23

9

9

SR-A1A (15)

Leon

95

26

8

15

US-27 (12)

Putnam

93

36

3

8

US-17 (18)

Bay

88

12

12

3

US-98 (18)

Citrus

84

19

5

6

US-19 (16)

Indian River

75

12

4

2

SR-60 (14)

Highlands

70

21

3

6

US-27 (27)

Martin

70

16

1

4

US-1 (16)

Charlotte

70

18

8

6

US-41 (18)

Columbia

67

20

0

6

I-75 (14)

Sumter

67

9

6

4

US-301 (10)

Clay

66

14

3

3

SR-21 (21)

Walton

63

16

10

6

US-98 (12)

Santa Rosa

63

7

12

3

I-10 (14)

Suwannee

48

16

1

5

I-10 (14)

Jackson

48

6

9

1

US-231 (8)

Flagler

47

12

3

5

I-95 (14)

Nassau

47

14

4

2

US-1 (6)

Monroe

46

9

9

4

US-1 (31)

Levy

44

21

3

5

US-41 (6)

Okeechobee

40

17

2

3

US-98 (9)

De Soto

35

10

3

2

US-17 (9)

Gadsden

34

11

8

6

I-10 (8)

Hendry

33

7

4

1

SR-80 (8)

Hardee

27

11

1

2

US-17 (8)

Washington

25

1

7

2

SR-79 (7)

Bradford

24

7

1

1

US-301 (8)

Glades

22

9

4

3

Cr-721 (7)

Madison

21

3

3

1

I-10 (14)

Wakulla

19

11

5

3

US-98 (4)

Hamilton

19

4

0

2

I-75 (7)

Gilchrist

19

10

0

2

US-129 (5)

Baker

16

4

0

1

US-90 (3)

Holmes

16

4

0

1

I-10 (2)

Taylor

14

6

5

2

US-19 (6)

Dixie

12

2

2

2

SR-349 (4)

Calhoun

10

2

1

0

SR-20 (5)

Jefferson

9

1

3

1

I-10 (3)

Gulf

8

0

1

1

US-98 (4)

Union

7

3

0

0

SR-100 (2)

Franklin

5

2

1

1

US-98 (3)

Liberty

5

2

1

0

Cr-12 (2)

Lafayette

2

0

0

1

Cr-300 (1)

Methodology

MoneyGeek analyzed National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) crash fatality data from 2018, 2019 and 2020. Currently, 2020 is the latest data available in the system.

About Doug Milnes, CFA


Doug Milnes, CFA headshot

Doug Milnes is the head of marketing and communications at MoneyGeek. He has spent more than a decade in corporate finance performing valuations for Duff and Phelps and financial planning and analysis for various companies including OpenTable. He holds a master’s degree in Predictive Analytics (Data Science) from Northwestern University and is a CFA charter holder. Doug geeks out on building financial and predictive models and using data to make informed decisions.


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