TALLAHASSEE — Fatalities on Florida’s roadways decreased in 2011 by almost 2 percent, adding up to a 32 percent reduction in deaths on Florida’s roadways since 2005. The fatality rate per mile traveled in 2011 held steady at its all-time low, first reached in 2010. Those are some of the findings in the recently released “2011 Florida Traffic Crash Statistics Report” by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The agency produces the report annually with data from the detailed traffic crash reports submitted by state and local law enforcement agencies. “Traffic crashes are largely avoidable, and so I would urge drivers to give their full attention to the road when they are behind the wheel,” said Julie L. Jones, DHSMV executive director. “The department strives to change driving behaviors and save lives.” Here are some report highlights: • Fatalities as a result of traffic crashes on Florida roadways decreased between 2010 and 2011 by almost 2 percent, going from 2,444 to 2,400, respectively. • During the past six years, fatalities have dropped every year from 3,533 in 2005 to 2,400 in 2011, which is a 32-percent reduction. • The state mileage death rate (the number of deaths per 100 million miles traveled) was 1.25 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2011. That is the same rate as 2010 and the lowest since the state began to calculate the rate in 1968. • Motorcyclist and passenger fatalities increased between 2010 and 2011 by approximately 18 percent from 383 to 451, respectively. • Bicyclist fatalities increased between 2010 and 2011 by almost 58 percent from 76 to 120, respectively. • Fatalities of teen drivers and passengers increased between 2010 and 2011 by 7 percent from 144 to 154, respectively. The full statistics, including information by county, are available at http://flhsmv.gov/html/safety.html under “Traffic Crash Facts.” The 2011 report is condensed because of several factors, including the change in the crash form used by law enforcement, which, when fully integrated into the data, will provide more detailed data than previous years. The department will be changing the way it offers the report. Beginning in the spring, the public will be able to get real-time, 24-hour-a-day crash data via a dynamic Web portal. The portal is being developed by DHSMV and Appriss, a company that specializes in providing law enforcement agencies software to collect and distribute crash data. The “2011 Florida Traffic Crash Statistics Report” is the last static report the department will publish. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles provides highway safety and security through excellence in service, education and enforcement. The department is leading the way to a safer Florida through the efficient and professional execution of its core mission: the issuance of driver licenses, vehicle tags and titles and operation of the Florida Highway Patrol. To learn more about DHSMV and the services offered, visit www.flhsmv.gov, follow us on Twitter at @FDHSMV or find us on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Fatalities on Florida’s roadways drop in 2011