While COVID-19 has negatively affected many Floridians, we do have some good news to report. Florida as a whole has seen a drastic decrease in car crashes since coronavirus-related restrictions and regulations have gone into effect.
Florida Accidents By The Numbers
The Florida Department of Safety and Motor Vehicles has released preliminary information through April 23, 2020. The Florida Crash Dashboard reports that in 2019, Florida saw 33,688 crashes during the month of April. In April 2020, that number was significantly less, at 8,031 reported. That is a 76.16% decrease in car accidents across the state!
Here are the numbers for the Tampa Bay Area reported thus far for 2020, by comparison to 2019.
| 2019 | 2020 | % Change | ||
| Jan | 6,791 | 7,021 | 3.4% | |
| Feb | 6,850 | 6,910 | 0.9% | |
| Mar | 7,483 | 5,885 | -21.4% | |
| Apr | 7,096 | 1,752 | -75.3% | (Preliminary data through April 23, 2020) |
| Jan-Apr | 28,220 | 21,568 | -23.6% |
As you can see, our state and local areas have seen a drastic reduction in the number of crashes. We welcome you to follow this link to view crash data in your county. The dashboard includes data reported by Sheriffs’ Departments, Florida Highway Patrol, and local police departments. The dashboard also allows you to see how many crashes involved pedestrians, motorcycles, bicyclists, hit and runs, and injuries vs. non-injury accidents. Additionally, there is a filter to view how many involved drivers who were under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
Pinellas County, where our main office is located, saw 308 auto accidents during the first 23 days of April 2020*. This is compares to 1,462 Pinellas County car accidents in April of 2019.
The government has encouraged citizens only to leave the house for essential trips or essential jobs. Many are working from home. Others are not working or traveling at all. While the circumstances surrounding COVID-19 are certainly not ideal, we are glad to see fewer people injured. However, as Florida begins to relax restrictions, we anticipate more people will be out on the roads. If you or your loved one is looking for a car accident attorney, contact a lawyer who specializes in personal injury. Our client reviews speak for themselves. The Ruth Law Team’s accident lawyers have been practicing in Tampa Bay for more than 35 years, and we are currently accepting new cases.
*Numbers preliminarily reported through 4/23/20
