Time to Really Find Out: Does Florida Have The Worst Drivers?

Florida has long had a reputation for dangerous drivers, chaotic roads, and eye-popping accident statistics. But is the Sunshine State still home to the worst drivers in the U.S.? Or has the data improved over time?

We’ve looked at the latest statistics from national traffic safety agencies to assess how Florida stacks up today in categories like crash rates, fatalities, DUI trends, seat belt usage, speeding, and more.

TL;DR Florida Drivers: The Good, the Bad, and the Risky

The Positives:

• Seat Belt Use Is High: 90.2% of Floridians used seat belts in 2023, above the national average of 89.6%.
• Traffic Fatalities Are Decreasing: Florida saw a 4% decrease in traffic deaths from 2022 to 2023, down from 3,548 to 3,396.

The Ongoing Challenges:

• Fatality Rate Remains High: Florida ranks #3 in total road fatalities nationwide. That’s over 3,300 deaths in a year.
• Uninsured Drivers Are a Major Issue: Florida has the 7th highest rate of uninsured drivers at 20.6%.
• Alcohol-Impaired Fatalities Are Common: 839 deaths in 2023 were alcohol-related, making up 25% of all traffic fatalities.
• Speeding Is a Frequent Factor: Florida reported 349 speeding-related deaths in 2023, nearly identical to Georgia and Illinois.

Florida Drivers vs. Other States: 2023 Overview

Category	Florida	U.S. Average	Comparison
Total Fatalities	3,396	40,901	8.3% of the national total
Fatality Rate (per 100M VMT)	1.42	1.26	Higher than average
Seat Belt Use	90.2%	89.6%	Slightly better than the national average
% of Uninsured Drivers	20.6%	~13%	Among the worst 10 states
Alcohol-Related Deaths	839	12,429	~6.7% of the U.S. total

Compared to the rest of the country, Florida’s death rate per capita isn’t the very worst. But the sheer number of deaths, along with contributing factors like speeding, alcohol, and uninsured drivers, keeps Florida near the top of the “worst driver” rankings.

Let’s take a closer look at the most important measure: fatalities.

Traffic Fatalities in Florida (2023): How Do We Compare?

According to the latest NHTSA data, Florida recorded 3,396 traffic fatalities in 2023, down slightly from 3,548 deaths in 2022. That’s a 4% decrease year-over-year, but it still places Florida among the deadliest states in the country.

In fact, 3,396 lives were lost on Florida roads last year, ranking us #3 nationwide, behind only Texas (4,291 deaths) and California (4,061 deaths).

Florida Fatalities in the National Context

Category	Florida	National (U.S.)	FL Share
Total Fatalities (2023)	396	40,901	8.3% of all U.S. deaths
Change from 2022	-152 deaths	-1,820 deaths	-4% in both

The analysis of the report from the NHTSA helps paint a fuller picture.

Traffic Fatalities: Florida vs. U.S. Average

Metric	Florida	U.S. Average	Notes
Total Fatalities	3,396	40,901	FL ranks #3 in total deaths
Population	22.6 million	334.9 million	FL = ~6.7% of U.S. pop.
Fatality Rate per 100k Population	15.02	12.21	Higher than national avg
Fatality Rate per 100k Licensed Drivers	19.95	17.21	Above avg risk per driver
Fatality Rate per 100k Registered Vehicles	17.40	13.48	More deaths per car
VMT (Vehicle Miles Traveled, in millions)	239,188	3,246,817	FL drivers travel a lot
Fatality Rate per 100M VMT	1.42	1.26	Florida drivers die more often per mile driven

What That Means for Driving in Florida

1. You’re More Likely to Die on Florida Roads
   Florida’s death rate per 100,000 people is 15.02 — nearly 23% higher than the U.S. average.
2. High Risk per Driver and per Car
   Florida makes up ~7% of U.S. licensed drivers but accounts for 8.3% of all traffic deaths.
3. We Drive A Lot But That Doesn’t Explain It All
   Even after accounting for miles driven, Floridians are still dying more often than the national average.
4. Compared to Other High-Fatality States
   Florida’s fatality rate is higher than Texas and California, and equal to Texas in deaths per mile traveled. Only South Carolina fares worse.

Florida’s traffic fatality numbers aren’t just high, but are consistently worse than the national averages, even when factoring in how many drivers we have or how far we travel. Now, let’s take a closer look at the types of fatalities occurring on Florida’s roads.

Crash Types: Why Florida Stands Out

Not all fatal crashes are the same, and looking at the types of collisions tells us even more about why Florida’s roads are so dangerous. By comparing state numbers to national averages, we can see where Florida stands out from the rest of the country.

Florida vs. National Averages (U.S. Totals)

Category	Florida	U.S. Total	% of U.S.
Total Fatal Crashes	3,183	37,654	8.4% of all U.S. fatal crashes
Motor Vehicle Collisions	1,353 (42.5%)	15,117 (40.1%)	Slightly above national avg
Pedestrian/Cyclist (Nonoccupant)	995 (31.3%)	8,147 (21.6%)	One of the highest in the U.S.
Fixed Object Crashes	635 (19.9%)	10,371 (27.5%)	Lower than avg
Rollover/Overturn	125 (3.9%)	2,515 (6.7%)	Lower than avg

Florida has one of the highest pedestrian fatality rates in the nation. In 2023, nearly one-third of all fatal crashes involved pedestrians or cyclists. That’s about 50% higher than the national average.

At the same time, most Florida fatal crashes involve other vehicles, while fewer involve rollovers or fixed-object crashes compared to national numbers. This could be due to fewer mountainous/rural roads or different vehicle types. In short, our crashes are more likely to involve people, not barriers.

Next, let’s look at fatalities involving nonoccupants in Florida, since this is a critical aspect of overall road safety.

Florida Pedestrian Fatalities: Still Among the Worst in the Nation

According to the most recent NHTSA data:

• Florida recorded 769 pedestrian deaths in 2023
• With a population of ~22.6 million, that puts our pedestrian fatality rate at 3.41 deaths per 100,000 people
• Florida ranks #4 in the nation for pedestrian fatality rate — behind only New Mexico, Arizona, and South Carolina

Metric	Value
Pedestrians Killed	769
Population (2023)	22,610,726
Pedestrian Fatality Rate	3.41 per 100,000
National Average	2.20 per 100,000

That means Florida’s pedestrian death rate is 55% higher than the national average.

How Florida Pedestrian Fatalities Compare to Other States

State	Pedestrian Fatality Rate
New Mexico	4.89
Arizona	3.65
South Carolina	3.48
Florida	3.41
Nevada	3.36
Louisiana	3.17
U.S. National Avg	2.20

So what’s driving these numbers in Florida? A mix of factors contributes to the state’s high pedestrian death rate. Urban sprawl and high-speed arterial roads cut directly through populated areas, often without protected crosswalks or proper pedestrian infrastructure. Drivers frequently fail to yield or speed through intersections, while heavy tourist traffic adds large numbers of unfamiliar out-of-state drivers into the mix. And in pedestrian-dense cities like Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Fort Lauderdale, the risks only multiply.

What does this mean for pedestrian safety? Florida’s roads aren’t just dangerous for drivers, but for pedestrians as well. More than two pedestrians are struck and killed every single day. These victims include children walking to school, seniors crossing the street, and everyday residents navigating poorly lit intersections.

With that in mind, let’s turn to the main causes of roadway fatalities in Florida.

Speeding-Related Deaths in Florida

There were 349 speeding-related deaths in 2023 in Florida, which made 10.3% of fatalities. So, about 1 in 10 traffic deaths in Florida involved a speeding driver.

Florida Speeding Fatalities vs. U.S. Average

Metric	Florida	U.S. Total
Speeding-Related Deaths	349	11,775
% of Total Deaths from Speeding	10.3%	~28.8% (U.S. average)

Surprisingly, Florida’s percentage of speeding-related deaths is below the national average, but due to our overall high fatality rate, we still rank among the top states by raw numbers. Another serious issue for Florida drivers is drunk driving.

Florida Drunk Driving Fatalities

Drunk driving continues to be one of the most preventable yet persistent causes of deadly crashes in Florida. While the state has seen some improvement in recent years, alcohol still plays a role in a quarter of all traffic deaths. The table below shows how Florida compares to national averages:

Metric	Value	U.S. Average
Total traffic deaths (2023)	3,396	37,654
Alcohol-impaired fatalities	839	12,429
% of all traffic deaths	25%	30%
Change from 2022	↓ -93 deaths
% Change from 2022	-10%	-7.6%

In 2022, Florida had 932 alcohol-related deaths. In 2023, that dropped to 839 fatalities, reflecting a 10% improvement, but drunk driving still caused 1 out of every 4 traffic deaths in the state. Florida is slightly below the national average for the percentage of deaths involving alcohol, but still ranks in the top 10 for DUI-related deaths by raw numbers.

Another non-behavioral factor, but still a very serious one, is the high number of uninsured drivers in Florida.

Uninsured Drivers: A Hidden Danger

According to the Insurance Research Council:

• 20.6% of Florida drivers are uninsured. National average is closer to 13%
• Florida ranks #7 in the nation for the highest percentage of uninsured motorists
• Roughly 1 in every 5 drivers on Florida roads may not carry insurance

This creates a huge financial risk for anyone involved in a crash, even if it wasn’t your fault. Moreover, Florida is a no-fault state, but serious injuries often exceed PIP coverage.

If the at-fault driver is uninsured, you may be left with no direct recovery from their insurance, delays in treatment or settlement, and, for sure, stress over bills, property damage, and lost wages.

Our Verdict: Are Florida Drivers Ones of the Worst?

Yes, but there’s nuance.

Florida may no longer be ranked #1 for worst drivers (as it was in 2016 and 2017), but it’s still in the top 5 according to several national surveys. With a dangerous mix of speeding, drunk driving, high fatality rates, and uninsured motorists, Florida roads remain among the most hazardous in America. The state remains firmly in the top 3 for total traffic deaths and accounts for more than 8% of the entire country’s crash fatalities. However, improvements like declining fatalities and strong seat belt usage show potential for progress.

Whether you’re a daily commuter, a visitor on vacation, or someone driving through one of our major cities, the risk of serious injury or death on Florida roads is real, but preventable. And if the worst does happen, our experienced Florida car accident lawyers are here to guide you through the legal process, protect your rights, and fight for the full compensation you and your family deserve.