ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida has one of the highest rates of pedestrian deaths involving SUVs in the country, according to a new analysis of federal crash data.
The study, conducted by Boston-based law firm Breakstone, White & Gluck, analyzed fatal pedestrian crashes involving SUVs from 2020 through 2024 using data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System.
Florida ranked third in the nation, with an average annual rate of 8.59 SUV-related pedestrian deaths per 1 million residents.
The state trailed only Delaware and South Carolina.
The analysis found Florida averaged 191.8 pedestrian deaths involving SUVs each year during the five-year period. That was the highest raw total in the country, according to the study.
Florida recorded 177 fatal pedestrian crashes involving SUVs in 2020, followed by 174 in 2021, 188 in 2022, 218 in 2023 and 202 in 2024.
Researchers said Florida’s rate was 66% higher than the national average of 5.18 deaths per 1 million residents.
The study also found Florida’s rate was higher than both neighboring states. Georgia ranked 10th, with a rate of 6.99 deaths per 1 million residents. Alabama ranked 19th, with a rate of 5.78.
The top 10 states for SUV-related pedestrian fatality rates were:
- Delaware
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Louisiana
- Alaska
- Nevada
- Mississippi
- Georgia
The study comes as pedestrian safety remains a concern in Florida communities where wide roads, high-speed traffic and heavy vehicle use can create dangerous conditions for people walking or crossing streets.
Researchers said the study looked only at fatal pedestrian crashes involving SUVs. It did not include all pedestrian deaths or all types of vehicles.
The analysis ranked states by average annual deaths per 1 million residents. North Dakota had the lowest rate, at 2.30 deaths per 1 million residents.
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