Tampa Personal Injury Accident Statistics

Car Accident Statistics

There were more than 28,000 car accidents in Hillsborough County alone in 2021 and nearly 63,000 wrecks throughout the Bay Area. That number accounts for about 16% of all accidents in the state. Hillsborough County is actually one of the most dangerous in the entire country when it comes to driving. There were 246 car crashes that involved a fatality in 2021, and they led to 263 fatalities.

Aggressive driving: Florida motorists drive aggressively on a regular basis, as you already know all too well if you’ve been in our state for any length of time. Many of them are simply in too much of a rush. They’ll weave in and out of lanes, drive much too fast, tailgate, and exhibit several other types of reckless behavior.

Fatigued driving: Getting behind the wheel when exhausted is one of the biggest mistakes a driver could ever make. Unfortunately, people are busier than ever, trying to juggle their work and home lives. When they decide to drive while fatigued, they simply can’t react to any sudden changes in the road.

Defective parts: Accidents can occur that are beyond the control of the driver. If a defectively manufactured tire blows out, or negligently manufactured brakes fail, the results can be catastrophic.

Motorcycle Accident Statistics

Riding a motorcycle can be a dangerous activity in both Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties. From 2017-2021, there were an average of 693 motorcycle accidents, 39 fatalities, and nearly 150 severe injuries in Hillsborough County. Pinellas County saw an average of 529 motorcycle wrecks during that time, resulting in an average of 26 deaths and about 120 serious injuries.

Dangerous lane changes. Motorcyclists are often hit by car and truck drivers who fail to check their blind spots before moving into a different lane.

“Dooring”. This is where a rider slams into the door of a passenger car. The driver doesn’t check their rear-view mirror before opening their door, often leading to horrible injuries.

Impairment. Motorcyclists can also take the blame for accidents, especially when they’re riding under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Truck Accident Statistics

Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties also see their fair share of truck accidents. There were 3,069 crashes involving a commercial vehicle in 2019, resulting in 22 deaths and 940 injuries. In Pinellas, there were 1,413 accidents, two deaths, and 365 injuries.

Truck drivers are notorious for violating not only state and federal regulations but traffic laws as well, causing terrible accidents in the process. Here are just a few examples.

Drug use. You might be surprised to learn that this is one of the most common causes of truck accidents. Many wrecks take place because the truck driver was on some sort of illegal or prescription drug. They did this in order to stay awake to meet a deadline – and trucking deadlines are oftentimes not only unreasonable but also dangerous.

Speeding. An 80,000-pound commercial truck is hard enough to keep on the road even when it’s going the speed limit. When it’s going too fast, and something happens to cause the driver to lose control, the results can be tragic.

Inexperience. Trucking companies will often hire unqualified people because of a shortage of experienced drivers. They might not be as familiar with their routes as they should be and might try to make a sudden move to make an exit. When they don’t make it, the truck can easily roll over.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Accident Statistics

As beautiful as the Tampa Bay region is, it’s also a very dangerous place to ride a bike – or even take a walk. There are 95 pedestrians killed in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties alone in 2019. There were 25 fatalities in Polk County, 23 in Pasco County, and 10 in Manatee County. The number of deaths in Hillsborough (59) was nearly double the 32 pedestrians in 2013.

But it’s just about as dangerous for bicycle riders. There were 160 people who lost their lives in Florida in 2019 – 45 of those fatalities occurred in the Bay Area. Eleven deaths occurred in Hillsborough County.

Causes of Bicycle and Pedestrian Accidents in Tampa

Negligent motorists are typically to blame for both bicycle as well as pedestrian accidents. These are just some of the many reasons why.

Distracted drivers: Some people just can’t help themselves – they have to look at their texts and emails on their smartphone, even when they’re behind the wheel of a car. Even a momentary lack of focus on the road can have terrible consequences, including hitting bicyclists and pedestrians.

Running stop signs: Impatient, distracted, and impaired motorists will oftentimes not realize a stop sign is coming up. If they do that when a bicyclist or pedestrian is trying to cross an intersection, that can prove deadly.

Heavy rain: It’s hard enough to see other vehicles when you’re trying to drive in the middle of a Florida thunderstorm. It’s almost impossible to see someone walking or riding a bike.

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September 21, 2023