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

Car accident deaths in Hillsborough County by year

Car accident deaths in Hillsborough County were 188 in 2020, 245 in 2021, 196 in 2022, 205 in 2023 and 166 in 2024. The highest yearly count in this span was 2021, with 245 deaths, and the lowest was 2024, with 166 deaths. All traffic deaths followed a similar pattern, climbing from 213 in 2020 to 271 in 2021 before settling at 181 in 2024. Comparing the first and last years of the period, car accident deaths in 2024 were 22 lower than in 2020. The share of all traffic deaths occurring in car accidents moved between 87.1% and 91.7% across the five years.^{[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 Hillsborough County car accidents

Among the 1,000 car accident deaths recorded in Hillsborough County from 2020 through 2024, People in cars, SUVs, pickups or vans accounted for 517 deaths, or 51.7% of the total, a majority of the deaths in this category breakdown. People in other vehicles made up 149 deaths, or 14.9%. Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping), which covers pedestrians, pedalcyclists and other or unknown nonoccupants under FARS classification, accounted for 334 deaths, or 33.4%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

How the fatal car crashes happened

Looking at manner of collision for the 1,000 car accident deaths recorded from 2020 through 2024, Not a collision with a motor vehicle in transport accounts for 534 deaths, or 53.4%, a majority of the total. This category describes crashes whose first harmful event was not a collision between motor vehicles in transport, covering cases such as striking a pedestrian, a cyclist, a parked vehicle or a fixed object, or a rollover. Among collisions with another motor vehicle in transport, Angle (side impact) crashes account for 259 deaths (25.9%), Rear-end crashes 89 deaths (8.9%), Head-on crashes 87 deaths (8.7%) and Sideswipe crashes 28 deaths (2.8%). Other and Unknown together cover 2 and 1 deaths respectively.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Time of day and setting

Of the 1,000 car accident deaths recorded in Hillsborough County from 2020 through 2024, Nighttime hours (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) account for 612 deaths, or 61.2%, a majority of the total, while Daytime hours (6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m.) account for 387 deaths, or 38.7%. By land use, Urban areas account for 891 deaths, or 89.1%, a majority of the total, compared with 100 deaths, or 10.0%, in Rural areas. Crashes that also involved a large truck accounted for 78 car accident deaths, or 7.8% of the five-year total.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Car accident death rate compared with Florida and the United States

Hillsborough County's average annual rate of car accident deaths works out to 13.2 per 100,000 residents for the 2020 to 2024 period. That rate is lower than Florida's statewide rate of 13.3 and higher than the national rate of 10.5. Among the listed neighboring counties, Polk County, Florida has the highest rate at 16.0 and Pinellas County, Florida has the lowest at 11.3; Pasco County, Florida sits at 15.0 and Manatee County, Florida at 13.6. Hillsborough County's rate of 13.2 is lower than Pasco County and Manatee County but higher than Pinellas County among these neighbors. This figure measures average annual deaths per 100,000 residents only; it does not adjust for miles driven or for visitors to the county.^{[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

Looking at all fatal crashes in Hillsborough County of any vehicle type, as shares of all traffic deaths, At an intersection is the largest recorded characteristic at 402 deaths, or 35.9%, while In a work zone is the smallest listed at 18 deaths, or 1.6%. Roadway departure is tied to 318 deaths (28.4%), Pedestrian involved to 287 deaths (25.6%), Motorcycle involved to 207 deaths (18.5%), Speeding-related to 176 deaths (15.7%), Driver distraction reported to 97 deaths (8.7%) and Hit-and-run to 89 deaths (7.9%). Because a single crash can carry several of these characteristics, the rows overlap and do not add to 100%; they describe recorded characteristics rather than findings of fault.^{[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

These figures come from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, a census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes that occur on public trafficways and in which an occupant or nonoccupant dies within 30 days. Deaths are grouped by the county where the crash took place rather than by where the people killed lived, which is a distinction worth keeping in mind, including for anyone such as a car accident lawyer reviewing how these counts are organized by location. The 2020 to 2023 figures come from FARS Final Files, while the 2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and may be revised when NHTSA issues the Final File. Rates are calculated using Census Bureau Vintage 2025 population estimates and do not reflect miles driven or visitor traffic. FARS covers fatal crashes only; nonfatal crashes and injuries are not part of this data.^[8][6][7]

See also

• Car accident statistics for Manatee County, Florida (2020-2024)
• Car accident statistics for Pasco County, Florida (2020-2024)
• Car accident statistics for Pinellas County, Florida (2020-2024)
• Florida car accident statistics (2020-2024)

On related publications

• Truck accident statistics for Hillsborough County, Florida (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)