Quick answer
According to crimebycity.com's analysis of NHTSA data, the most dangerous city to drive in in Florida is Panama City Beach, FL with 50.4 traffic deaths per 100,000 residents per year (Road Danger Score 100/100), vs a US average of 12.3.
Highest Traffic-Fatality Rates in Florida
Cities ranked by Road Danger Score — 5-year traffic deaths per 100,000 residents from NHTSA FARS.
| # | City | Danger Score | Deaths per 100K/yr | Deaths (5-Yr) | Alcohol % | Speeding % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Panama City Beach | 100/100 | 50.4 | 32 | 10% | 3% |
| 2 | Alachua | 99/100 | 35.7 | 18 | 13% | 6% |
| 3 | Brooksville | 99/100 | 35.7 | 18 | 17% | 11% |
| 4 | Lake Wales | 99/100 | 33.3 | 28 | 15% | 11% |
| 5 | Palatka | 99/100 | 33.3 | 18 | 18% | 0% |
| 6 | Cocoa | 99/100 | 32.6 | 33 | 9% | 19% |
| 7 | St. Augustine | 98/100 | 31.1 | 24 | 19% | 10% |
| 8 | Daytona Beach | 98/100 | 28.0 | 108 | 11% | 11% |
| 9 | New Smyrna Beach | 97/100 | 27.0 | 43 | 12% | 10% |
| 10 | Panama City | 97/100 | 25.7 | 47 | 17% | 7% |
| 11 | Orange City | 97/100 | 25.5 | 19 | 11% | 5% |
| 12 | Florida City | 97/100 | 24.1 | 15 | 0% | 7% |
| 13 | Fort Lauderdale | 96/100 | 24.1 | 222 | 9% | 8% |
| 14 | Plant City | 96/100 | 23.2 | 46 | 13% | 7% |
| 15 | Stuart | 96/100 | 22.9 | 23 | 15% | 20% |
| 16 | Lighthouse Point | 96/100 | 22.8 | 12 | 9% | 9% |
| 17 | Fort Myers | 96/100 | 22.8 | 103 | 7% | 16% |
| 18 | Ocala | 96/100 | 22.3 | 78 | 11% | 8% |
| 19 | Holly Hill | 95/100 | 21.5 | 14 | 0% | 7% |
| 20 | Melbourne | 95/100 | 20.8 | 87 | 13% | 3% |
| 21 | Opa Locka | 95/100 | 20.6 | 17 | 0% | 6% |
| 22 | Sarasota | 94/100 | 20.5 | 60 | 21% | 7% |
| 23 | Cocoa Beach | 94/100 | 20.4 | 12 | 10% | 30% |
| 24 | Ormond Beach | 93/100 | 19.6 | 43 | 28% | 21% |
| 25 | Miami Shores | 93/100 | 19.2 | 11 | 11% | 0% |
| 26 | Leesburg | 93/100 | 19.1 | 32 | 11% | 7% |
| 27 | West Palm Beach | 93/100 | 19.1 | 121 | 8% | 4% |
| 28 | Miami Gardens | 92/100 | 18.5 | 102 | 12% | 42% |
| 29 | Fort Pierce | 92/100 | 18.4 | 46 | 11% | 4% |
| 30 | Groveland | 92/100 | 18.2 | 16 | 7% | 7% |
| 31 | Titusville | 91/100 | 18.0 | 45 | 14% | 7% |
| 32 | Davie | 91/100 | 18.0 | 96 | 15% | 16% |
| 33 | Lakeland | 91/100 | 17.7 | 101 | 19% | 12% |
| 34 | New Port Richey | 90/100 | 17.4 | 15 | 0% | 13% |
| 35 | Sanford | 90/100 | 17.3 | 58 | 6% | 13% |
| 36 | Lake City | 90/100 | 17.3 | 11 | 18% | 9% |
| 37 | Sebring | 89/100 | 16.9 | 9 | 22% | 0% |
| 38 | Largo | 89/100 | 16.7 | 69 | 18% | 5% |
| 39 | South Daytona | 88/100 | 16.0 | 11 | 10% | 20% |
| 40 | Boca Raton | 87/100 | 15.7 | 79 | 19% | 11% |
| 41 | Deland | 87/100 | 15.5 | 31 | 7% | 14% |
| 42 | Tampa | 87/100 | 15.5 | 317 | 20% | 25% |
| 43 | Edgewater | 85/100 | 14.9 | 18 | 11% | 6% |
| 44 | Mount Dora | 85/100 | 14.9 | 11 | 9% | 36% |
| 45 | Miami | 84/100 | 14.5 | 333 | 11% | 5% |
| 46 | Hollywood | 84/100 | 14.3 | 112 | 20% | 11% |
| 47 | Orlando | 83/100 | 14.1 | 219 | 17% | 7% |
| 48 | Riviera Beach | 82/100 | 13.8 | 27 | 16% | 32% |
| 49 | St. Petersburg | 80/100 | 13.2 | 175 | 15% | 16% |
| 50 | Gainesville | 80/100 | 13.2 | 97 | 15% | 17% |
| 51 | Boynton Beach | 79/100 | 13.0 | 53 | 14% | 14% |
| 52 | Eustis | 79/100 | 12.9 | 14 | 15% | 31% |
| 53 | Tavares | 79/100 | 12.8 | 14 | 23% | 15% |
| 54 | Wildwood | 79/100 | 12.8 | 12 | 0% | 25% |
| 55 | Zephyrhills | 78/100 | 12.8 | 13 | 17% | 8% |
| 56 | Vero Beach | 77/100 | 12.5 | 11 | 9% | 0% |
| 57 | Wilton Manors | 77/100 | 12.4 | 8 | 0% | 0% |
| 58 | Bartow | 77/100 | 12.4 | 13 | 17% | 17% |
| 59 | Sunrise | 75/100 | 12.0 | 58 | 18% | 29% |
| 60 | Hallandale Beach | 75/100 | 12.0 | 24 | 0% | 0% |
| 61 | Palmetto | 74/100 | 11.7 | 8 | 25% | 0% |
| 62 | North Miami | 73/100 | 11.6 | 34 | 6% | 6% |
| 63 | Tallahassee | 72/100 | 11.5 | 114 | 22% | 14% |
| 64 | Delray Beach | 72/100 | 11.5 | 39 | 11% | 11% |
| 65 | Tarpon Springs | 72/100 | 11.5 | 15 | 7% | 7% |
| 66 | Bradenton | 72/100 | 11.5 | 33 | 24% | 12% |
| 67 | Plantation | 71/100 | 11.2 | 55 | 13% | 17% |
| 68 | Naples | 70/100 | 11.2 | 11 | 36% | 27% |
| 69 | Lady Lake | 70/100 | 11.1 | 9 | 33% | 17% |
| 70 | Auburndale | 70/100 | 11.1 | 12 | 18% | 27% |
| 71 | Milton | 69/100 | 11.0 | 6 | 17% | 0% |
| 72 | Clearwater | 69/100 | 10.9 | 64 | 18% | 18% |
| 73 | Lantana | 69/100 | 10.9 | 7 | 0% | 14% |
| 74 | Casselberry | 69/100 | 10.9 | 17 | 0% | 6% |
| 75 | Clermont | 68/100 | 10.8 | 26 | 25% | 25% |
| 76 | Haines City | 68/100 | 10.7 | 22 | 23% | 9% |
| 77 | Port Orange | 67/100 | 10.6 | 34 | 15% | 0% |
| 78 | Lauderhill | 67/100 | 10.5 | 38 | 0% | 16% |
| 79 | Longwood | 67/100 | 10.4 | 9 | 0% | 0% |
| 80 | Kissimmee | 63/100 | 9.8 | 40 | 23% | 8% |
| 81 | Hialeah | 63/100 | 9.7 | 114 | 12% | 6% |
| 82 | Homestead | 63/100 | 9.7 | 39 | 9% | 6% |
| 83 | Ocoee | 62/100 | 9.6 | 24 | 38% | 19% |
| 84 | Fort Walton Beach | 61/100 | 9.5 | 10 | 20% | 10% |
| 85 | Jupiter | 61/100 | 9.5 | 29 | 14% | 21% |
| 86 | Palm Beach Gardens | 59/100 | 9.2 | 27 | 0% | 15% |
| 87 | Davenport | 59/100 | 9.2 | 8 | 13% | 13% |
| 88 | North Miami Beach | 57/100 | 8.9 | 19 | 0% | 6% |
| 89 | Satellite Beach | 56/100 | 8.8 | 5 | 20% | 0% |
| 90 | West Melbourne | 56/100 | 8.7 | 13 | 0% | 0% |
| 91 | Winter Haven | 54/100 | 8.4 | 25 | 29% | 17% |
| 92 | Maitland | 53/100 | 8.4 | 8 | 0% | 14% |
| 93 | Crestview | 51/100 | 8.0 | 12 | 25% | 17% |
| 94 | Altamonte Springs | 51/100 | 8.0 | 18 | 28% | 0% |
| 95 | Apopka | 50/100 | 7.9 | 24 | 25% | 21% |
| 96 | Punta Gorda | 49/100 | 7.7 | 8 | 38% | 13% |
| 97 | Cape Coral | 47/100 | 7.4 | 79 | 23% | 15% |
| 98 | Miami Beach | 46/100 | 7.3 | 29 | 29% | 21% |
| 99 | Pensacola | 45/100 | 7.1 | 19 | 21% | 5% |
| 100 | Coconut Creek | 44/100 | 7.1 | 22 | 5% | 14% |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most dangerous city to drive in in Florida?
Panama City Beach, FL has the highest traffic-fatality rate in Florida: 50.4 deaths per 100,000 residents per year (most recent five-year period, NHTSA FARS), a Road Danger Score of 100/100.
What causes traffic deaths in these cities?
Across these 100 cities, an average of 14% of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver and 12% involved speeding (NHTSA FARS, most recent five-year period). These shares run higher than the safest-city list, alongside structural factors like road type and speed limits.
How is the Road Danger Score calculated?
The Road Danger Score is a percentile ranking from 1 to 100 based on each city's five-year traffic-fatality rate (deaths per 100,000 residents per year) from NHTSA FARS data: 100 = most dangerous to drive in, 1 = safest. See the methodology page for the full formula.