| Data years | 2020-2024[1][2][3][4][5] |
|---|---|
| Deaths in car accidents, 2020-2024 | 799[1][2][3][4][5] |
| Deaths in car accidents, 2024 | 133[5] |
| Average annual deaths per 100,000 residents | 10.9[1][2][3][4][5][6] |
| Population, July 1, 2024 (estimate) | 1,520,988[6] |
| 2024 data file | FARS Annual Report File[5] |
Orange County, Florida recorded 799 car accident deaths from 2020 through 2024, out of 925 total traffic deaths in that period, a share of 86.4%. In 2024 alone, the county counted 133 car accident deaths. Across the five years, 761 fatal crashes involved at least one passenger vehicle.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
On this page, a car accident is a fatal crash involving at least one passenger car, SUV, pickup or van, and the deaths counted include everyone killed in those crashes: people in the passenger vehicles, people in other vehicles and nonoccupants. The figures come from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System and Census Bureau population estimates, and anyone researching a specific case, including with a car accident lawyer, should know that these counts are grouped by the county where the crash happened, not by where the people killed lived.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Contents
Car accident deaths in Orange County by year
Car accident deaths in Orange County ran from 148 in 2020 to 195 in 2021, 181 in 2022, 142 in 2023 and 133 in 2024. The highest year was 2021, with 195 deaths, and the lowest year was 2024, with 133 deaths. Across the full period, deaths went from 148 in 2020 to 133 in 2024, a change of 15 deaths lower. All traffic deaths followed a similar pattern, reaching 216 in 2021 and 158 in 2024, with the share of all traffic deaths that were car accident deaths ranging from 82.6% in 2023 to 90.3% in 2021.[1][2][3][4][5]
| Year | Deaths in car accidents | All traffic deaths | Share in car accidents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 148 | 174 | 85.1% |
| 2021 | 195 | 216 | 90.3% |
| 2022 | 181 | 205 | 88.3% |
| 2023 | 142 | 172 | 82.6% |
| 2024 | 133 | 158 | 84.2% |
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 Orange County car accidents
Among the 799 car accident deaths recorded in Orange County from 2020 through 2024, People in cars, SUVs, pickups or vans accounted for 408 deaths, a share of 51.1%, which is a majority of the total. People in other vehicles made up 109 deaths, or 13.6%. Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) accounted for 282 deaths, a share of 35.3%.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
How the fatal car crashes happened
Of the manner-of-collision categories recorded for Orange County's 799 car accident deaths from 2020 through 2024, Not a collision with a motor vehicle in transport accounts for 462 deaths, a share of 57.8%, making it the majority category. This row covers crashes whose first harmful event was not a collision between motor vehicles in transport, such as striking a nonoccupant, a parked vehicle or a fixed object, or a rollover. Among collisions with another motor vehicle in transport, Angle (side impact) crashes account for 170 deaths (21.3%), Rear-end crashes for 83 (10.4%), Head-on crashes for 68 (8.5%) and Sideswipe crashes for 13 (1.6%). Other and Unknown manners each account for 1 and 2 deaths, respectively.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Time of day and setting
Nighttime hours, from 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m., account for 529 car accident deaths in Orange County from 2020 through 2024, a share of 66.2% and a majority of the total, compared with 270 deaths, or 33.8%, during daytime hours from 6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m. Urban land use accounts for 731 deaths, or 91.5%, also a majority, while rural land use accounts for 56 deaths, or 7.0%, with the remaining 12 deaths of unknown land use. Car accident deaths in crashes that also involved a large truck numbered 49, a share of 6.1% of the county's car accident deaths.[1][2][3][4][5]
Car accident death rate compared with Florida and the United States
Orange County's average annual rate of 10.9 deaths per 100,000 residents sits 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 has a rate of 16.0, Volusia County 18.0, Brevard County 13.1 and Osceola County 13.4, all higher than Orange County's rate; among the listed neighboring counties, Volusia County has the highest rate and Brevard County has the lowest. This figure is an average annual count of deaths per 100,000 residents, and it does not adjust for miles driven or for visitors to the county.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
| Area | Deaths, 2020-2024 | Average annual deaths per 100,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| Orange County, Florida | 799 | 10.9 |
| Florida | 14,871 | 13.3 |
| United States | 176,219 | 10.5 |
| Polk County, Florida (neighbor) | 633 | 16.0 |
| Volusia County, Florida (neighbor) | 520 | 18.0 |
| Brevard County, Florida (neighbor) | 414 | 13.1 |
| Osceola County, Florida (neighbor) | 287 | 13.4 |
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 Orange County, of any vehicle type, as shares of all traffic deaths, intersections appear in 311 deaths, a share of 33.6%, the largest of the characteristics listed, while work zones appear in 24 deaths, or 2.6%, the smallest. Roadway departure is recorded in 286 deaths (30.9%), pedestrian involvement in 273 deaths (29.5%), motorcycle involvement in 173 deaths (18.7%), driver distraction in 153 deaths (16.5%), hit-and-run in 102 deaths (11.0%) and speeding in 73 deaths (7.9%). Because a single crash can carry several of these characteristics, the rows overlap and do not add to 100%, and they describe recorded characteristics rather than findings of fault.[1][2][3][4][5]
| Recorded crash characteristic (all fatal crashes) | Deaths, 2020-2024 | Share of all traffic deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 73 | 7.9% |
| Roadway departure | 286 | 30.9% |
| At an intersection | 311 | 33.6% |
| Pedestrian involved | 273 | 29.5% |
| Motorcycle involved | 173 | 18.7% |
| Hit-and-run | 102 | 11.0% |
| Driver distraction reported | 153 | 16.5% |
| In a work zone | 24 | 2.6% |
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 on public trafficways where a vehicle occupant or a nonoccupant dies within 30 days of the crash; crashes without a fatality are not part of this count. Counts are grouped by the county where the crash occurred, not by where the people killed lived. Data for 2020 through 2023 come from FARS Final Files, while the 2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and may change once NHTSA issues the Final File. Rates divide the 2020 to 2024 deaths by the sum of annual Census Bureau population estimates for those years, multiplied by 100,000, and do not adjust for miles driven or for visitors to the county.[8][6][7]
See also
References
- abcdefghijklmnop "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2020 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnop "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2021 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnop "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2022 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnop "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2023 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnopqr "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024 national data files (Annual Report File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefg "Annual resident population estimates for counties, April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025 (CO-EST2025-ALLDATA)". U.S. Census Bureau. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcde "Fatality Analysis Reporting System Analytical User's Manual, 1975-2024 (DOT HS 813 794)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- ^ "Overview of motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2024 (DOT HS 813 791, April 2026)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record