WHAT CITIES ARE YOU MOST LIKELY TO DIE IN A DUI CRASH IN FLORIDA?

The good news is that there has been a six percent decrease from 2012 to 2107 in DUI deaths (2012-2017) in the State of Florida. In 2017, there were 525 DUI related fatalities in Florida as reported by the National Highway Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Report.

The most dangerous, Florida Cities for DUI fatalities might surprise you. It is not Miami or Ft. Lauderdale as they are two of the safest cities when it comes to DUI fatalities.

Miami ranks at 105 with a rate of 25 deaths per 100,000 residents. Ft. Lauderdale ranks slightly higher at 102nd, with a death rate of 40 deaths per 100,000 residents. It’s the small cities that are the most dangerous. The number one, is Destin, the panhandle beach town. The death rate for DUI related fatalities is 6x higher than the State average. At 13.54 fatalities 100,000 residents. Sarasota, Key West and Key Largo are also ranked high on the deadliest cities for driving fatalities.

A study conducted by Value Penguin, a consumer information and personal finance company found DUI deaths far more common in small cities and rural areas. By ways of example, a person who lives in Hamilton County which is located in North Central Florida by the Georgia bank and has a population of under 15,000 is 21 times more likely to be killed in a DUI crash than a person who lives in Miami-Dade County with a population of over 2.5 million. “Deaths occur more often in places with less density were you may have to drive further and you may have to drive faster speeds” said Matt Timmons an insurance analyst for Value Penguin. Mr. Timmons also cited the increasing use of car hailing services being used in major cities.

The lawyers at Kaire & Heffernan have represented many families of those involved in accidents with drunk drivers. Please feel free to call for a consultation if you or your loved ones has been involved in such an incident.