Miami Dade County is one of the busiest counties in Florida, home to major cities such as Miami, Coral Gables, Homestead, Miami Beach, Hialeah, Key Biscayne, North Miami, South Miami, Pinecrest, and others. Over the years, new rules and increasing efforts by the Florida Highway Patrol and other agencies have resulted in fewer accidents in the county.
In 2000, Miami Dade County saw 51, 132 car accidents. By 2001, the car accident rate increased to 54, 519 before starting to decline. In 2002 and 2003, respectively, the area saw 49, 922 and 45, 731 Florida car accidents. In 2005, however, there were 48,537 car accidents in Miami Dade County.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Miami Dade County in 2005 (the last year for which statistics are available) saw:
1) A disproportionate number of accidents in the city of Miami. Of the total 48, 537 car accidents in Miami Dade County, 10,814 of them were Miami car accidents.
2) A significant number of accidents were Miami drunk driving accidents. About 4.63% of Miami car accidents involved alcohol. 501 car accidents in Miami in 2005 were attributed to DUI. In Miami Dade County, 2,117 accidents were alcohol-related. 74 of these drunk driving accidents resulted in fatalities. 1,635 injuries were also attributed to drunk driving in Miami Dade County in 2005.
3) Miami Dade county car accidents claimed 336 lives in 2005. They also caused 37,879 injuries.
4) In addition to Florida car accidents, Miami Dade County also saw 45 fatal Florida motorcycle accidents and 8 fatal Florida bicycle accidents in 2005. That year also resulted in 444 injuries from Florida bicycle accidents and 1, 484 injuries from Florida pedestrian accidents. 81 Miami Dade County pedestrian accidents proved fatal in 2005.