Why Are There So Many Personal Injury Accidents in New Port Richey?
It’s no secret that Florida is one of the most dangerous states in the country when it comes to car accidents. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, Florida had the 2nd most accident fatalities in 2020. In fact, it has maintained its number-two spot since 2015, increasing from 10,578 to 16,135. That’s more than a 50% increase in accident fatalities in only five years.
So how does this data relate to smaller cities in Florida like New Port Richey? Here are some statistics from Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles regarding car accidents and injuries within Pasco County and how it compares to previous years.
General Accident Injury Statistics
The amount of injuries due to accidents in Pasco County, including New Port Richey, has been relatively stable. Between 2019 and 2020, the number of accident injuries decreased from 6,415 to 6,363. However, the number of fatalities increased by more than 10%.Some crashes resulted in more injuries or fatalities than others. For example, around half of all fatalities involved motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. While motorcycle and pedestrian deaths didn’t change between 2019 and 2020, bicycle deaths increased by 85%. Despite this increase in fatalities, overall injuries in all three categories declined over the two year span.
Accidents Involving Drugs and Alcohol
According to this experienced New Port Richey injury lawyer, when it comes to crashes that involve DUI or DWI, Pasco County is one of the most dangerous counties in Florida. In 2020, the county had the 8th most alcohol-related accidents in the state. However, Pasco County also had the most accidents involving drugs. In fact, drug and alcohol-related fatalities accounted for more than a third of all Pasco County traffic deaths in 2020. Unfortunately, between 2018 and 2020, alcohol-related crashes increased by almost 25%, while drug-related crashes increased by nearly 80%. While regular accidents have declined, this may explain why the total crashes reported in Pasco County annually have remained relatively similar.Young Drivers
Another concerning sign of accident trends in Pasco County is the increase in fatalities and injuries involving young drivers. Although the number of accidents involving teenagers under the age of 18 decreased, the number of injuries has skyrocketed. In just three years, injuries for 15-17 year olds in Pasco County increased by 32%. However, neither 2019 nor 2020 had any reported fatalities in this age group.Other age brackets had differing trends. For example, accidents involving 18-20 year old drivers saw a 2.68% increase since 2019. Despite this, driver injuries decreased by more than 3%. In contrast, the drivers in the 21-24 age bracket saw no change in the number of reported accidents since 2019. However, the number of injuries increased from 353 to 374 and fatalities decreased by about 37%.
Conclusion
Since Pasco County is one of the more populated counties in Florida, it’s unsurprising that New Port Richey has so many accident injuries. However, it’s still worrisome that, although accidents haven’t increased, their severity has. As such, it’s important to be extra careful when driving in New Port Richey or any other part of Pasco County. Even just a few minor precautions may keep yourself and others safe while driving.Do You Need An Attorney?
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Posted - 03/21/2022
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