Florida Hit-And-Run Fatalities Jumped 18% From 2019 To 2020
By Valeriya Antonshchuk
February 1, 2021
Gainesville was not alone in experiencing hit-and-run fatalities in 2020.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles launched an awareness campaign on Monday aimed at reducing the number of incidents in 2021 and beyond. There were 254 in 2020, an increase of over 18% from the past year. Department data revealed pedestrians and bicyclists to be at the highest risk, making up nearly 64% of these fatalities. The department found 85% of the incidents happened during low-visibility hours such as nighttime, dawn or dusk.
The department’s top goal is to get drivers to stay at the scene when a collision occurs.