Fatal crash profile · County
Traffic deaths in Polk County, Florida
County in Florida · United States
- Deaths, 2024
- 113
- Fatal crashes
- 107
- Population
- 851.4K
In 2024, 113 people died in 107 fatal crashes in Polk County, Florida. That was 28.0% fewer than in 2023 (157) and the fewest in any year since 2020. The death rate was 13.3 per 100,000 residents, compared with 13.5 in Florida and 11.5 in the United States. Polk County had the 8th most traffic deaths among Florida's counties. Between 2020 and 2024, 719 people died, an average of 144 a year. Pedestrians accounted for 19% of deaths, and 10% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
13.3
deaths per 100,000 residents in 2024
- About the same as the rate in Florida: 13.5
- About 1.1 times the rate in the United States: 11.5
18.2
average deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2020–2024
- About 1.2 times the average in Florida: 15.3
- About 1.5 times the average in the United States: 12.3
-28%
change in deaths from 2023 to 2024
157 deaths in 2023, 113 in 2024
- Florida: -7%
- The United States: -4%
| Category | Deaths | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 134 | 122 |
| 2021 | 182 | 172 |
| 2022 | 133 | 121 |
| 2023 | 157 | 143 |
| 2024 | 113 | 107 |
People who died within 30 days of a crash. A fatal crash can kill more than one person.
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| Category | Deaths per 100,000 |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 18.4 |
| 2021 | 24.1 |
| 2022 | 16.8 |
| 2023 | 19.0 |
| 2024 | 13.3 |
Uses Census population estimates, available from 2000.
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Road users
Who died
19%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About the same as the share in Florida: 21%
- About the same as the share in the United States: 18%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 70 |
| Pedestrians | 22 |
| Motorcyclists | 18 |
| Cyclists | 3 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in Polk County | Share in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 22 | 19% | 21% |
| Motorcyclists | 18 | 16% | 20% |
| Cyclists | 3 | 3% | 7% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 33 | 29% | 25% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 12 | 11% | 11% |
Alcohol-impaired and speeding-related count everyone killed in those crashes, so a death can appear in more than one row.
Crash factors
Speeding, alcohol, night and weekend crashes
10%
of fatal crashes were speeding-related
- About the same as the share in Florida: 11%
- About 35 percent of the share in the United States: 28%
26%
of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver
- About 1.6 times the share in Florida: 16%
- About the same as the share in the United States: 25%
| Category | Polk County | Florida | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 26.2% | 16.2% | 24.8% |
| Alcohol-involved | 10.3% | 10.7% | 28.1% |
| At night | 58.9% | 59.2% | 53.6% |
| At weekends | 29.0% | 32.5% | 32.6% |
Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.
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Timing
When crashes happen
59%
of fatal crashes happened at night
- About the same as the share in Florida: 59%
- About the same as the share in the United States: 54%
29%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About 90 percent of the share in Florida: 33%
- About 90 percent of the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 31 |
| 1am | 24 |
| 2am | 18 |
| 3am | 23 |
| 4am | 12 |
| 5am | 28 |
| 6am | 47 |
| 7am | 16 |
| 8am | 18 |
| 9am | 14 |
| 10am | 22 |
| 11am | 22 |
| 12pm | 26 |
| 1pm | 20 |
| 2pm | 21 |
| 3pm | 27 |
| 4pm | 32 |
| 5pm | 27 |
| 6pm | 38 |
| 7pm | 49 |
| 8pm | 41 |
| 9pm | 44 |
| 10pm | 37 |
| 11pm | 28 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 90 |
| Mon | 83 |
| Tue | 97 |
| Wed | 101 |
| Thu | 88 |
| Fri | 90 |
| Sat | 116 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 57 |
| Feb | 53 |
| Mar | 69 |
| Apr | 57 |
| May | 47 |
| Jun | 49 |
| Jul | 54 |
| Aug | 54 |
| Sep | 55 |
| Oct | 52 |
| Nov | 61 |
| Dec | 57 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 514 |
| Cloudy | 94 |
| Rain | 45 |
| Fog, Smog, Smoke | 12 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 265 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 229 |
| Dark - Lighted | 132 |
| Dusk | 20 |
| Dawn | 14 |
| Dark - Unknown Lighting | 5 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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Roads and vehicles
Where and what, 2020–2024
Roads with the most fatal crashes
- US-2761
- US-9846
- SR-6045
- US-1732
- I-430
- US-9228
- SR-3716
- SR-3314
- SR-1713
- SR-54411
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Cars | 430 |
| SUVs | 205 |
| Pickup trucks | 189 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 114 |
| Motorcycles | 113 |
| Other vehicles | 36 |
| Vans | 36 |
| Buses | 4 |
| Other light trucks | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Ford F-15051
- Chevrolet Silverado47
- Toyota Corolla30
- Toyota Camry23
- Honda Civic20
- Freightliner Cascadia19
- Nissan Altima16
- Nissan Rogue15
- Hyundai Sonata14
- Honda Accord14
Reflects how common a vehicle is as well as crash involvement; not a safety rating.
Crashes
Fatal crashes
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Fatal crashes in 2024. Crashes without reported coordinates are not shown.
Filter crashes
| Date | Location | Road | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 24, 2024 | Lakeland | CR-37B E EDGEWOOD DR | 1 |
| Dec 21, 2024 | — | CR-542 | 1 |
| Dec 19, 2024 | Lake Wales | SR-60 | 1 |
| Dec 16, 2024 | — | SR-60 | 2 |
| Dec 14, 2024 | — | SR-33 COMMONWEALTH AVE N | 1 |
| Dec 14, 2024 | — | SR-542 | 1 |
| Dec 9, 2024 | — | SR-540 CYPRESS GARDENS BLVD SE | 1 |
| Dec 2, 2024 | — | SR-540 | 1 |
| Nov 30, 2024 | Lakeland | PIPKIN RD W | 1 |
| Nov 29, 2024 | Lake Wales | US-27 | 1 |
| Nov 23, 2024 | Lakeland | SR-37 | 1 |
| Nov 20, 2024 | — | SR-544 | 1 |
| Nov 19, 2024 | — | US-17 | 1 |
| Nov 16, 2024 | — | SR-540 CYPRESS GARDENS BLVD | 1 |
| Nov 15, 2024 | — | SR-542 | 1 |
| Nov 13, 2024 | — | SR-600 HWY 92 | 1 |
| Nov 10, 2024 | Winter Haven | COUNTRY CLUB RD | 1 |
| Nov 8, 2024 | — | US-98 | 1 |
| Nov 7, 2024 | — | LAKE PARKER DR | 1 |
| Nov 3, 2024 | Davenport | US-27 | 1 |
| Oct 29, 2024 | — | SR-60 | 1 |
| Oct 28, 2024 | — | US-192 | 1 |
| Oct 25, 2024 | — | COUNTY LINE RD | 1 |
| Oct 19, 2024 | — | SR-17 N SCENIC HWY | 1 |
| Oct 18, 2024 | — | SR-655 RECKER HIGHWAY | 1 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Cities in Polk County
| Area | Deaths, 2024 | Per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Auburndale | 0 | — |
| Bartow | 2 | 9.0 |
| Haines City | 4 | 9.6 |
| Lake Wales | 3 | 16.9 |
| Lakeland | 19 | 15.2 |
| Winter Haven | 6 | 10.0 |
Nearby counties
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Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020–2024. A fatal crash is one in which at least one person died within 30 days. Population: US Census Bureau estimates.