Florida Pedestrian Accident Statistics from a Legal Perspective

How Does Florida Compare to the Rest of the Country?

Florida's pedestrian safety problem remains significant even when the state's large population is taken into account. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) allow pedestrian fatalities to be compared among states and on a population-adjusted basis. Those federal data have consistently identified Florida as a state with a substantial pedestrian fatality problem, demonstrating that the number of pedestrian deaths cannot be attributed simply to Florida's large population.

Florida's own traffic data further illustrate the disproportionate toll on pedestrians. In 2024, pedestrians accounted for approximately 22% of all traffic fatalities in Florida. Put another way, approximately one out of every five people killed on Florida roads was a pedestrian, despite pedestrians having none of the physical protections available to occupants of motor vehicles.

The circumstances surrounding these fatalities also reveal recurring patterns. FDOT reports that nearly 80% of pedestrian fatalities occur in dark conditions and that approximately two-thirds of pedestrian-related fatal crashes occur outside marked crosswalks. These findings highlight the importance of visibility, roadway design, vehicle speed, driver attentiveness, and the opportunity a motorist had to perceive and react to a pedestrian.

While statewide and national statistics demonstrate the magnitude of the problem, responsibility for an individual pedestrian accident depends on the circumstances of that particular collision. Determining fault requires consideration of the actions of the driver and pedestrian, roadway and lighting conditions, applicable traffic laws, and the physical, electronic, and testimonial evidence available to establish how the collision occurred.

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Pedestrian Accidents in South Florida

South Florida accounts for a substantial share of Florida's pedestrian crashes. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), Miami-Dade County recorded 1,844 pedestrian crashes and 101 pedestrian fatalities in 2023, while Broward County recorded 1,114 pedestrian crashes and 67 pedestrian fatalities. In Palm Beach County, 713 pedestrian crashes resulted in 54 pedestrian fatalities during the same year.

Together, Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties experienced 3,671 pedestrian crashes and 222 pedestrian fatalities in 2023. These three counties alone accounted for approximately 36% of all pedestrian crashes in Florida and 28% of the state's pedestrian fatalities that year.

The injury numbers further illustrate the impact of pedestrian crashes throughout South Florida. FLHSMV reported 1,446 pedestrian injuries in Miami-Dade County, 965 in Broward County, and 559 in Palm Beach County in 2023—a combined 2,970 pedestrian injuries across the three counties.

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Pedestrian Fatalities Remain a Serious National Problem

Florida's pedestrian statistics are part of a broader national safety problem.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 7,080 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes nationwide in 2024, and more than 71,000 pedestrians were injured. That means a pedestrian was killed in a U.S. traffic crash approximately every 74 minutes.

The longer-term trend is particularly significant. Pedestrian fatalities reached a modern low of 4,109 deaths nationwide in 2009 before increasing substantially during the following years. The 7,080 pedestrian deaths recorded in 2024 were approximately 72% higher than the number recorded in 2009.

Although recent data indicate some improvement from the extraordinary levels of pedestrian deaths reached in recent years, thousands of pedestrians continue to be killed and tens of thousands injured on American roads each year.

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When Do Pedestrian Accidents Happen in Florida?

Time of day and visibility are recurring factors in Florida pedestrian crashes. FLHSMV reports that pedestrian crashes most commonly occur between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. and that approximately 85% of pedestrian fatalities occur during the early morning, late afternoon, and evening.

Darkness presents an especially significant risk. FDOT reports that nearly 80% of pedestrian fatalities occur in dark conditions. Florida has responded to the nighttime pedestrian-safety problem by investing more than $100 million in LED lighting improvements designed to increase pedestrian and crosswalk visibility at more than 2,500 intersections throughout the state. FDOT estimates that improved intersection lighting can reduce nighttime intersection crashes by as much as 38%.

These statistics make visibility an important issue when investigating a nighttime pedestrian collision. Available street lighting, headlights, weather, sight distance, the pedestrian's location, surrounding businesses and lighting, and the driver's opportunity to observe the pedestrian may all become relevant to determining how and why the collision occurred.

Many Fatal Pedestrian Accidents Occur Outside Marked Crosswalks

The location of a pedestrian is an important factor in evaluating how a collision occurred, but it does not tell the entire story. FDOT reports that approximately two-thirds of pedestrian-related fatal crashes in Florida occur outside marked crosswalks, while federal pedestrian-safety research similarly shows that many fatal pedestrian crashes occur away from intersections. These statistics demonstrate that serious pedestrian collisions outside marked crosswalks are a recurring roadway-safety concern.

When a pedestrian is struck outside a marked crosswalk, determining how the collision occurred requires consideration of the circumstances leading up to the impact. The investigation may include the driver's speed and attentiveness, impairment or distraction, lighting and visibility, sight distance, roadway design, traffic conditions and traffic-control devices, as well as the pedestrian's location and movements.

Of particular importance is whether the driver had an opportunity to see and react to the pedestrian before impact. Physical evidence, witness accounts, video, vehicle data, roadway conditions, and accident-reconstruction evidence may help establish when the pedestrian became visible, the time and distance available to the driver, and whether the driver took reasonable measures to avoid the collision.

Ultimately, the fact that a pedestrian was outside a marked crosswalk is one circumstance among many. Responsibility must be evaluated based on the complete sequence of events and the respective conduct of the driver and pedestrian under the applicable Florida traffic laws.

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Speed Can Dramatically Increase the Severity of a Pedestrian Accident

Vehicle speed is especially important in pedestrian crashes because pedestrians have virtually no physical protection from the force of an impact.

FDOT reports that at a vehicle speed of only 30 miles per hour, the risk of severe injury to a pedestrian is approximately 50%. At 46 miles per hour, that risk increases to approximately 90%.  The difference between 30 mph and 46 mph is only 16 miles per hour, but FDOT's figures illustrate how dramatically the risk of catastrophic injury to a pedestrian can increase as impact speed rises.

Higher speeds can create two separate dangers. A faster-moving driver has less time to recognize and react to a pedestrian, while the increased impact speed can substantially increase the forces imposed on the pedestrian's body.

These considerations can make evidence of vehicle speed, braking, sight distance, reaction time, and the driver's opportunity to avoid the collision particularly important in the investigation of a serious pedestrian accident.

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Hit-and-Run Accidents Present an Additional Danger in Florida

Hit-and-run crashes present another serious problem on Florida roads. According to FLHSMV's By the Numbers 2024, preliminary state data reported 97,902 hit-and-run crashes in Florida in 2024, resulting in 246 fatalities. These figures include all Florida hit-and-run crashes and are not limited to collisions involving pedestrians. For a pedestrian, however, a hit-and-run collision can be particularly serious because the injured person may be left at the scene while the identity of the responsible driver—and potentially an important source of insurance coverage—remains unknown.

For an injured pedestrian, a hit-and-run collision can create additional legal and insurance issues if the responsible driver cannot be located or identified. Uninsured motorist coverage and other potential sources of insurance may therefore become particularly important.

Evidence can also disappear quickly following a hit-and-run pedestrian accident. Surveillance recordings, traffic-camera evidence, witness information, vehicle debris, photographs, electronic records, license-plate information, and other evidence may help identify the vehicle or driver responsible for the crash.

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Why Pedestrian Accidents Can Cause Catastrophic Injuries

Unlike the occupants of motor vehicles, pedestrians have no seat belts, airbags, reinforced passenger compartments, or other structural protection when a collision occurs.

A pedestrian's body may absorb the direct force of the initial impact and then sustain additional injuries from striking the hood or windshield, being thrown to the pavement, or colliding with another vehicle or roadside object.

Serious pedestrian accident injuries may include:

• Traumatic brain and head injuries

• Spinal cord and back injuries

• Broken legs, arms, hips, ribs, and pelvis

• Knee and shoulder injuries

• Internal organ injuries and internal bleeding

• Nerve damage

• Scarring and disfigurement

• Permanent physical impairment

• Psychological trauma

• Wrongful death

The severity of the injuries can depend upon numerous factors, including the vehicle's speed and size, the point of impact, the pedestrian's age and physical condition, roadway conditions, and what happens to the pedestrian following the initial impact.

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Determining Fault in a Florida Pedestrian Accident

Statistics illustrate the seriousness of pedestrian accidents throughout Florida, but determining responsibility for a particular collision requires a careful examination of the circumstances surrounding the crash. Driver and pedestrian conduct, vehicle speed, roadway conditions, lighting, visibility, traffic controls, and the sequence of events leading to the impact may all be important in determining how the accident occurred and who may be legally responsible.

A driver's negligence can take many forms, including speeding, distracted or impaired driving, failing to maintain a proper lookout, failing to yield when required, making an unsafe turn, disregarding a traffic signal, or otherwise failing to exercise reasonable care under the circumstances.

Liability is often disputed in pedestrian accident cases. An insurance company may contend that the pedestrian was outside a marked crosswalk, entered the roadway unexpectedly, was difficult to see, or otherwise contributed to the collision. Those circumstances should not be viewed in isolation. A meaningful investigation considers the entire sequence of events, including what the driver and pedestrian were doing, what each could reasonably see, the surrounding traffic and roadway conditions, and whether the driver had sufficient time and distance to recognize the pedestrian and respond.

Surveillance and security-camera footage, dash-camera recordings, photographs and measurements of the crash scene, vehicle electronic data, witness statements, police reports, relevant cell-phone records, traffic-signal timing, roadway information, vehicle damage, physical evidence, and lighting and visibility conditions can all provide important information about how a pedestrian accident occurred. In appropriate cases, accident-reconstruction analysis may also help explain the movements of the vehicle and pedestrian before impact.

This evidence can help establish when and where the pedestrian became visible, the vehicle's speed and direction of travel, whether the driver was attentive, how much time and distance the driver had to react, and whether reasonable action could have prevented the collision or reduced the severity of the impact.

Sources:

1. Fla. Dep't of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles, Traffic Crash Facts: Annual Report 2023 (2026).

https://www.flhsmv.gov/pdf/crashreports/crash_facts_2023.pdf

2. Fla. Dep't of Transp., Florida Transportation Fast Facts (Feb. 2026).

https://www.fdot.gov/docs/default-source/planning/FastFacts.pdf

3. Fla. Dep't of Transp., FDOT Highlights Major Enhancements to Drive Down Pedestrian Injuries and Fatalities During Pedestrian Safety Month (Oct. 23, 2024).

https://www.fdot.gov/info/co/news/2024/10232024

4. Fla. Dep't of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles, Share the Road: Pedestrian Safety.

https://www.flhsmv.gov/safety-center/driving-safety/share-the-road./

5. Nat'l Highway Traffic Safety Admin., Pedestrian Safety.

https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/pedestrian-safety

6. Nat'l Highway Traffic Safety Admin., Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).

https://www.nhtsa.gov/research-data/fatality-analysis-reporting-system-fars

7. Fla. Dep't of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles, By the Numbers 2024 (2025).

https://www.flhsmv.gov/pdf/opengov/by-the-numbers_feb-24.pdf