"Stay at the Scene" - a hit and run crash is not an accident - it’s a crime!
While preliminary data for 2023 shows less than a 1% decrease in crashes, there was an almost 2% increase in fatalities from 2022. This increase proves that hit-and-run crashes are not harmless and can cause serious injury, property damage, and even death. Those involved should always stay on the scene and remember that driving is a privilege and a responsibility.
Hit and Run Crash Data, 2018 - 2023
2018: 103,213 crashes, 1,172 serious bodily injuries, 206 fatalities
2019: 105,925 crashes, 1,112 serious bodily injuries, 217 fatalities
2020: 92,300 crashes, 983 serious bodily injuries, 257 fatalities
2021: 109,624 crashes, 1,185 serious bodily injuries, 305 fatalities
2022: 104,895 crashes, 1,007 serious bodily injuries, 266 fatalities
2023 (preliminary data) 104,273 crashes, 871 serious bodily injuries, 271 fatalities
Between 2015 and 2023, 923,000 hit-and-run crashes resulted in 2,162 traffic fatalities, approximately 84% of which occurred during dawn, dusk, or low light conditions. In 2023, 219 (81%) of the 271 fatalities from hit-and-run crashes occurred during dawn, dusk, or low-light conditions.
In additionally, 159 of the hit-and-run fatalities in 2023 were pedestrians, and 47 were bicyclists, totaling 76% of hit-and-run fatalities during 2023. While overall hit-and-run fatalities were down in 2023, compared to 2022, the percentage of bicyclists and pedestrians who died in hit-and-run crashes rose by 3% for the second year in a row (2022 and 2023). According to preliminary data for 2023, Vulnerable Road Users ("VRUs"), which include bicyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists, were involved in 404 hit-and-run crashes with severe bodily injuries. This includes 263 pedestrians, 137 bicyclists and 4 motorcyclists. VRUs made up 46.38% of the 871 hit-and-run crashes with severe bodily injury during 2.
“If you are involved in a traffic crash, the law requires you to remain on scene,” said FLHSMV Executive Director Dave Kerner. “When you operate a vehicle, you accept the responsibility of operating your vehicle safely and responsibly. Leaving the crash scene is reckless, irresponsible, and illegal, and state troopers will work diligently to arrest you.”
Hit and Run Penalties
Under Florida law, a driver MUST stop immediately at the scene of a crash on public or private property, which results in property damage, injury, or death.
If a driver flees the scene, the situation becomes even worse.
If the crash involves property damage, leaving the scene is classified as a second-degree misdemeanor with penalties of up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
Leaving the scene of a crash with injuries is a second- or third-degree felony, and a driver, when convicted, will have their driver's license revoked for at least three years and can be sentenced up to five years in prison and incur a $5,000 fine.
Drivers leaving the scene of a crash with a fatality could be sentenced up to 30 years in prison and incur a $10,000 fine.
Of Florida's 104,273 hit-and-run crashes during 2023, 86,987 involved property damage only, such as a parked car with no one inside, mailbox, fence, landscaping, or a garden. If involved in a crash involving property damage, you must stay at the scene and attempt to locate or contact the property owner. If you cannot locate the property owner, the driver responsible for the crash should leave contact and insurance information in an identifiable location.
In the case of property damage only, the driver and crash victim can self-file a crash report with FLHSMV and do not need law enforcement to file a crash report once contact has been initiated.
*Other partners in the hit-and-run safety campaign include the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), Florida Sheriff's Association (FSA), Florida Police Chiefs Association (FPCA), and AAA-The Auto Club Group.
For more information on the 'Stay at the Scene' campaign, including data, downloadable materials, and additional resources, please visit FLHSMV's Hit-and-Run Awareness webpage, www.flhsmv.gov/StayAtTheScene.gov .