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

Car accident deaths in Polk County by year

Car accident deaths rose from 116 in 2020 to 165 in 2021, then fell to 118 in 2022. The count rose to 138 in 2023 before falling to 96 in 2024. The highest count was 165 in 2021, and the lowest was 96 in 2024. The 2024 count was 20 deaths lower than the 2020 count.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The annual shares of all traffic deaths were 86.6% in 2020, 90.7% in 2021, 88.7% in 2022, 87.9% in 2023 and 85.0% in 2024. All traffic deaths followed the same sequence of increases and decreases, with annual counts of 134, 182, 133, 157 and 113, respectively. The average annual car accident death count was 126.6.^{[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 Polk County car accidents

People in cars, SUVs, pickups or vans accounted for 427 deaths, or 67.5% of car accident deaths from 2020 through 2024. This was the largest person category. People in other vehicles accounted for 86 deaths, or 13.6%, the smallest category. Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) accounted for 120 deaths, or 19.0%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

These categories describe people killed in the selected passenger-vehicle-involved crashes. The Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) label follows the FARS classification, which can include occupants of parked motor vehicles. It is not a literal test of a person's position outside a vehicle.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

How the fatal car crashes happened

Angle (side impact) accounted for 190 deaths, or 30.0%; Head-on for 104, or 16.4%; Rear-end for 53, or 8.4%; and Sideswipe for 22, or 3.5%. Other recorded 2 deaths, or 0.3%, and Unknown recorded 1, or 0.2%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Not a collision with a motor vehicle in transport was the largest row, with 261 deaths, or 41.2%. Manner of collision describes the first harmful event. This row includes events such as a rollover or striking a pedestrian, cyclist, parked vehicle or fixed object. It means that event was not a collision between motor vehicles in transport. A motor vehicle in transport can be stopped in traffic; physical movement is not the test.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Time of day and setting

Daytime (6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m.) accounted for 286 car accident deaths, or 45.2%, from 2020 through 2024. Nighttime (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) accounted for 347 deaths, or 54.8%. The nighttime count was higher than the daytime count.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Urban locations accounted for 468 deaths, or 73.9%, while rural locations accounted for 160, or 25.3%. Land use was unknown for 5 deaths, or 0.8%. Car accident deaths in crashes that also involved a large truck numbered 91, representing 14.4% of the county's deaths in the selected passenger-vehicle-involved crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Car accident death rate compared with Florida and the United States

Polk County's car accident death rate was 16.0 average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. Florida's rate was 13.3, and the national rate was 10.5. Polk County's rate was higher than both.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

The rates for the listed neighboring counties were 13.2 in Hillsborough County, 10.9 in Orange County, 15.0 in Pasco County and 13.6 in Manatee County. Polk County's rate was higher than each. Among the listed neighboring counties, Pasco County had the highest rate and Orange County had the lowest. These rates use deaths divided by the sum of annual Census population estimates, multiplied by 100,000. They do not adjust for miles driven or visitors.^{[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 Polk County, of any vehicle type, rather than only car accident deaths. Shares use all traffic deaths: Speeding-related, 12.2%; Roadway departure, 36.9%; At an intersection, 33.2%; Pedestrian involved, 17.4%; Motorcycle involved, 16.1%; Hit-and-run, 6.7%; Driver distraction reported, 5.4%; and In a work zone, 2.4%.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Roadway departure had the largest share of the listed characteristics, while In a work zone had the smallest. A crash can carry several characteristics, so the rows overlap and do not add to 100%. These entries describe recorded characteristics, 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 on trafficways customarily open to the public, with a death within 30 days. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded. Counts follow crash location, not residence. Readers searching for a car accident lawyer should keep that location-based grouping in mind.^[8][6][7]

The 2020 through 2023 figures use FARS Final Files; 2024 uses the revisable Annual Report File. Rates divide deaths for 2020 through 2024 by summed annual Census Bureau population estimates from Vintage 2025 and multiply by 100,000. The separately displayed July 1, 2024 population estimate is not the denominator. The result is average annual deaths per 100,000 residents, without adjustment for miles driven or visitors.^[8][6][7]

See also

• Car accident statistics for Hillsborough County, Florida (2020-2024)
• Car accident statistics for Lake County, Florida (2020-2024)
• Car accident statistics for Manatee County, Florida (2020-2024)
• Florida car accident statistics (2020-2024)