The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has released the 2009 Crash Statistics Report to the public. The results are encouraging, with a general decrease in both fatal and non-fatal crashes statewide.
Statewide Results
In 2009, fatalities and fatal crashes in Florida decreased by 14% from the previous year. Non-fatal traffic crashes also decreased by 3% in 2009. Florida's mileage death rate (the number of deaths per 100 million vehicle miles travelled) dropped to 1.3 in 2009.
According to the report, this is the fourth consecutive year that fatalities in Florida have decreased from the previous year. The 2009 mileage death rate is the lowest on record.
Alachua County Results
In Alachua County, the number of non-fatal traffic crashes unfortunately increased by 3.6% to 4,465 crashes in 2009. This gives the county a crash rate of 156.2 per 100 million vehicle miles travelled. The number of alcohol related crashes in Alachua County dropped to 299 in 2009 from 328 in 2008.
There were 30 traffic related fatalities in Alachua County in 2009, with 11 of them alcohol related. The county's fatality rate is 1.0, a 27% decrease from 2008. There were 3,175 injuries sustained in crashes in Alachua County and 188 of them were caused by alcohol-related crashes.
This means that although crashes in Alachua County increased in 2009, there were not as many severe crashes resulting in fatalities as in the previous year. Also, there were fewer alcohol-related crashes. This suggests that county residents are on the right track to keeping the roads as safe as possible.
Causes and Effects of Crashes
There have been many research projects focusing on the causes of traffic crashes and traffic fatalities. Distracted driving campaigns have been receiving a lot of attention lately due to the extreme dangers of cell phone use while driving. In Florida, county and local governments are prohibited by state law from enacting ordinances regulating or prohibiting the use of cell phones for talking or texting while driving. In 2009 and 2010 the state legislature even rejected a proposed a statewide ban on texting while driving, but the issue on their agenda again for 2011.
Even though 2009 saw a drop in fatalities statewide, there are still thousands of families that have lost loved ones in traffic crashes. Drivers should be aware of the dangers of distraction, speeding and reckless driving. Crashes not only result in deaths and serious injuries but in millions of dollars lost in property damage and medical expenses.
