Car accident statistics for Alachua County, Florida (2020-2024)

Car accident deaths in Alachua County by year

Car accident deaths rose from 41 in 2020 to 52 in 2021, then fell to 46 in 2022. The count rose to 49 in 2023 and remained at 49 in 2024. The highest count was 52 in 2021, and the lowest was 41 in 2020. The 2024 count was 8 deaths higher than the 2020 count.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The corresponding shares of all traffic deaths were 85.4% in 2020, 91.2% in 2021, 88.5% in 2022, 84.5% in 2023 and 98.0% in 2024. All traffic deaths numbered 48, 57, 52, 58 and 50 in those respective years. The highest car accident share occurred in 2024, while the highest all-traffic death count occurred in 2023.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Deaths within 30 days in crashes on public roads. 2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and can be revised.

Who died in Alachua County car accidents

People in cars, SUVs, pickups or vans accounted for 155 deaths, or 65.4% of car accident deaths during 2020 through 2024. This was the largest person category. People in other vehicles accounted for 35 deaths, or 14.8%, the smallest category. Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) accounted for 47 deaths, or 19.8%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Each category counts deaths in crashes involving a passenger vehicle, rather than limiting the count to deaths in that passenger vehicle. For readers searching for a car accident lawyer, the grouping to keep in mind is crash location, not the deceased person's residence.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

How the fatal car crashes happened

Angle (side impact) accounted for 61 deaths, or 25.7%; Head-on for 25, or 10.5%; Rear-end for 14, or 5.9%; and Sideswipe for 6, or 2.5%. Unknown accounted for 1 death, or 0.4%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Not a collision with a motor vehicle in transport accounted for 130 car accident deaths, or 54.9%. This describes the first harmful event: examples include striking a pedestrian, cyclist, parked vehicle or fixed object, or a rollover. The classification does not test whether another vehicle was physically moving. A motor vehicle in transport can be stopped in traffic.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Time of day and setting

Nighttime, from 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m., accounted for 131 car accident deaths, or 55.3%. Daytime, from 6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m., accounted for 106 deaths, or 44.7%. The nighttime count was higher than the daytime count during 2020 through 2024.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The urban classification recorded 124 deaths, or 52.3%, while the rural classification recorded 111 deaths, or 46.8%. Land use was unknown for 2 deaths, or 0.8%. Separately, crashes that also involved a large truck accounted for 21 car accident deaths, or 8.9% of the passenger-vehicle-involved death count.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Car accident death rate compared with Florida and the United States

Alachua County's car accident death rate was 16.6 average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. Florida's rate was 13.3, and the national rate was 10.5. The county rate was higher than both. Rates for the listed neighboring counties were 23.1 in Marion County, 28.5 in Putnam County and 29.3 in Columbia County. Alachua County's rate was lower than each of those rates.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Among the listed neighboring counties, Columbia County had the highest rate and Marion County the lowest. These rates divide deaths by the sum of annual Census population estimates and multiply by 100,000. They do not adjust for miles driven or visitors. The separate 2024 population estimate of 289,446 is not the rate's denominator.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Rates divide deaths by the sum of annual Census population estimates, so they show deaths per 100,000 residents per year. They do not adjust for miles driven or for visitors.

Recorded characteristics of all fatal crashes

Recorded characteristics cover all fatal crashes in Alachua County, of any vehicle type, rather than only car accident crashes. Shares of all traffic deaths were 13.6% for Speeding-related, 43.8% for Roadway departure, 34.0% for At an intersection and 18.5% for Pedestrian involved.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Motorcycle involved accounted for 18.1% of all traffic deaths; Hit-and-run, 6.8%; Driver distraction reported, 8.3%; and In a work zone, 0.8%. A crash can carry several recorded characteristics. These rows therefore overlap and do not add to 100%. The characteristics are not findings of fault or cause.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

A crash can carry several characteristics, so the rows overlap and do not add to 100%. These are recorded characteristics, not findings of fault.

About these figures

FARS is a census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. Inclusion requires a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public and an occupant or nonoccupant death within 30 days. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded. County counts use the crash location, not the residence of the person who died.^[8][6][7]

The 2020 through 2023 figures use FARS Final Files. The 2024 figures use the Annual Report File and may change when NHTSA replaces it with the Final File. Rate calculations use summed annual Census Bureau population estimates from Vintage 2025 for 2020 through 2024. Dividing deaths by that sum and multiplying by 100,000 yields average annual deaths per 100,000 residents.^[8][6][7]

See also

• Car accident statistics for Marion County, Florida (2020-2024)
• Florida car accident statistics (2020-2024)