Florida definitely has a DUI problem. According to state statistics, 515 people died in DUI accidents in 2017, and the numbers don’t seem to be getting better any time soon. Even if you do not die in a DUI collision, you could be one of the 3000 people who suffer injuries in an alcohol-related crash, according to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
For those living in Miami, however, there is some good news. We are not the worst city in the state for DUI. We aren’t even in the top 10! A recent report from Value Penguin instead ranked Miami-Dade near the bottom of the list.
How the Study Works
To be sure, Miami sees many DUI arrests and accidents. But Miami also has a lot of people living in the city. If you go only by raw numbers, then Miami looks much more dangerous than Sarasota. However, Sarasota has far fewer people.
To rank Florida cities, Value Penguin decided to adjust the number of DUI fatalities based on population. So a city with a small population will be ranked much higher even if it has only a few DUI fatalities.
This type of adjustment makes sense. There is no reason to assume a small city is safer than Miami just because it has fewer people and therefore fewer DUI fatalities. Risk is relative to the number of people on the road.
Sarasota is the Most Dangerous Florida City
Sarasota had 12.2 deaths per 100,000 people, which made it by far the most dangerous city in the state. And the numbers have been increasing. Value Penguin noted that the DUI fatality rate had increased by 73% when compared to the last time DUI fatalities were studied.
Sarasota’s rate was almost double that of Lakeland, which came in at #2. The full top 10 cities were:
- Sarasota
- Lakeland
- Jacksonville
- St. Petersburg
- Pensacola
- Orlando
- Tampa
- Boca Raton
- Daytona Beach
- Fort Myers
Miami Ranks as the Third Safest City in the State
Miami-Dade had a DUI fatality rate per 100,000 of only 0.96—stunningly low. We hope that residents continue the safe driving so that these accidents can be prevented.
Contact a Miami Car Accident Lawyer Today
If you were injured in a car accident, reach out to Dolan Dobrinsky Rosenblum Bluestein today. We have held many drunk drivers accountable when they have slammed into and injured our clients.
Schedule your free consultation by calling 305-371-2692 today.