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2005 was deadliest year on Florida roads

Fatalities topped last year's record, but the rate based on miles driven has been going down.

ORLANDO - More than 3,400 people died in car accidents in Florida in 2005, setting a record for the second straight year as more drivers crowd the state's roads.

Through Tuesday, 3,432 people died in accidents in 2005, topping last year's record of 3,257, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

"People don't know. They've become complacent with traffic deaths," said Sgt. Jorge Delahoz, a Highway Patrol spokesman.

Still, Delahoz said the numbers aren't quite as bad as they appear, because more drivers are continually taking to Florida roads. The statewide fatality rate based on miles driven has actually been going down in recent years, even as death totals pile up. The 2005 rate won't be calculated until summer.

Eric Hill, a transportation planner overseeing some Central Florida road-safety programs, said improvements in driver and pedestrian behavior could come gradually.

"You'll see more enforcement. You'll see more public awareness. More education. I think you'll see some policy initiatives," Hill said. "The numbers are important. They show how much work we have to do."

Hill and other safety planners know that behind every number is a tragedy. In February, a young couple, their baby and a relative were killed in a Haines City crash. In March, a 9-year-old girl on her way to school died in Rockledge. In April, a road-construction worker was killed on Florida's Turnpike in Lake County while helping install guardrails.

Still, there were some bright signs. Sixty-five-million dollars spent installing median guardrails along 166 miles of the turnpike has caused an immediate decline in deadly crossover crashes. Through Tuesday, 49 people had died on Florida's Turnpike this year, compared with 94 last year. A similar guardrail program is under way on roads throughout the state.

"It would be nice to be able to eliminate all crashes," said Frank Penela, a spokesman for the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. "It would be nice to have people slow down, and use seat belts, and make commonsense decisions when they're on the road, and Florida's roads will be safer, even with all the people that are driving."

[Last modified January 1, 2006, 00:28:15]