Hit-and-run car accidents are a big problem in the state of Florida, with nearly 25% of all crashes involving a hit-and-run driver. Most of these accidents result in property damage, but the reality is that a good amount of hit-and-run accidents can result in serious injuries or even death.

According to the FLHSMV, there were 104,273 hit-and-run crashes in Florida in 2023, a decrease of less than 1% from 2022. Of these hit-and-run collisions in 2023, 271 lives were lost, and another 871 suffered serious bodily injuries. In 2023, 271 people were killed in hit-and-run accidents, including 159 pedestrians and 47 bicyclists.

What Are the Laws in Florida Regarding Hit-and-Run Accidents?

Florida law requires drivers to stop immediately when a collision occurs on private or public property, causing property damage, injuries, or fatalities.

On July 1, 2014, Florida enacted the Aaron Cohen Life Protection Act, which increases penalties for hit-and-run drivers. The statute bears the name of Aaron Cohen, a father of two and an active cyclist who died in February 2012 in South Florida after being hit by a drunk driver who fled from the scene of the crash. The hit-and-run driver received a two-year prison term, less than what would have resulted from a DUI manslaughter conviction. A driver found guilty of fleeing the scene of a collision that results in death faces a minimum sentence of four years under the Aaron Cohen Life Protection Act.

If you’re in an accident, stay at the scene and call for help. It is more than just the law; you could save someone’s life.

Some crashes may result in property damage, like a parked car, mailbox, fence, or garden. Stay at the accident scene and contact the property owner. If the property owner is unavailable, the driver should leave their contact and insurance information in a visible spot.

If the accident only involved property damage, the motorist and crash victim can self-submit a crash report with FLHSMV after establishing contact, negating the requirement for a police officer to police to file a crash report.

Why Do People Leave the Scene of a Crash?

There are many studies regarding why people flee the scene of the crash, but some of the main reasons are:

• Fear of consequences, such as arrest, deportation, civil liabilities, and more
• Under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol
• Driving a stolen car
• Transporting illegal or stolen goods
• Irrational decisions/sheer panic
• Avoiding arrest/additional charges
• Unlicensed
• Uninsured

Regardless of your fears, you should never flee the scene of a car crash. Leaving the scene of a car accident before the police arrive can result in serious legal consequences. Everyone involved in an accident should follow the law in their best interest.

Who Pays for Damages in a Hit-and-Run Crash?

In Florida, uninsured motorist (UM) coverage compensates you for damages when you are involved in a crash with a driver who either lacks insurance or has insufficient insurance to cover the damages. UM coverage also comes into play if the driver leaves the accident scene.

Our Florida Car Accident and Injury Lawyers at Whittel & Melton are ready to offer you our experience handling car accidents, including hit-and-runs. We can help you review your UM coverage, file any insurance claims, and investigate your accident, hoping to find the person responsible. We help injury victims resolve car accident claims and fight for the compensation they deserve. To learn more, call us today at 866-608-5529 or contact us online for a free consultation.

Let’s face it: we are all guilty of doing something we shouldn’t do when behind the wheel. However, as we start fresh this new year, let’s all commit to stopping those bad behaviors and putting safety first. The new year is a reminder to practice safe driving techniques that can make a lasting impact on our families, friends, and everyone else around us.

The NHTSA has some helpful tips to help us all be better drivers in 2025, including:

Wear your seatbelt every time you get behind the wheel.

No matter the distance, whether you are driving down the street to pick your kids up from your neighborhood elementary school or making a longer commute to work, wearing your seat belt can reduce your risk of injuries if you are involved in a car crash. Missing a seat belt can have terrible consequences, so place the shoulder strap across your chest and collarbone and that the lap strap is snug across your hips. Never put the shoulder belt under your arm or behind your back – children are big fans of doing this so make sure you correct this bad habit immediately. Every passenger in your car should be bucked adequately before you hit the road.

Make sure your kids are in the right seat.

Selecting the appropriate seat, installing it properly, using it whenever your child is in the car, and determining when switching to a different car seat or seat belt is safe is critical. NHTSA can provide car seat recommendations based on your child’s age and size, thorough car seat installation instructions, and locating a car seat inspection station to have a trained expert check your work. NHTSA also provides tweens with seat belt tips. For kids younger than 13, the back seat is the safest option.

Do not drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Impaired driving is a deadly and severe offense. Driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, whether legal or not, is illegal in every state. Driving responsibly is simple: do not drive if you are impaired. Instead, plan ahead and arrange for a safe ride home prior to whatever you are doing. Use a rideshare service, like Uber or Lyft, or take public transportation or ask a friend for a ride. If you’re organizing an event where alcohol will be served, make sure that all attendees leave with a sober driver, and don’t be afraid to stop someone from driving after drinking.

Avoid driving when you have not had enough sleep.

Drowsy driving can be just as dangerous as driving drunk, as it has similar effects on your reaction time and coordination. Be aware of how your prescriptions may impact your ability to drive safely, and if needed, modify your schedule or find another form of transportation. If you must drive between midnight and six in the morning and late in the afternoon, when people are most drowsy, watch out for symptoms like driving over rumble strips or roadway lines.

Keep your eyes on the road.

Talking or texting on your phone, eating or drinking, conversing with passengers, adjusting the audio, entertainment, or navigation system—anything that diverts your focus from the objective of safe driving is considered distracted driving. Always keep in mind that safe driving demands your undivided attention.

Follow the posted speed limit.

You put yourself, your passengers, and everyone else on the road in unnecessary danger when you speed. Additionally, speeding raises the possibility of more serious injuries in an accident. Even if you are following the speed limit, you should keep in mind that speed can still impair your safety if you are traveling too fast for the circumstances of the road, such as in bad weather, at night, dawn, or dusk, or when traveling through a construction zone.

Watch out for pedestrians and bikers.

Remember that in addition to other drivers, you also share the road with bicyclists, pedestrians, and motorcyclists. Give bikers plenty of room on the road, yield to them like you would other drivers, and don’t underestimate their speed. Always keep an eye out for pedestrians, and drive with additional caution in situations when visibility is poor.

Be a good example to your teen drivers.

To minimize distractions, tell your teen driver to always wear a seat belt, follow speed limits, put their phone away, and limit the number of passengers they let ride with them. Be a good role model and try to keep involved in your teen’s driving habits because you have more influence over them than you may realize.

Know what to do when you see flashing lights.

If a car with flashing lights is stopped on a highway, move into a lane that isn’t next to it. Slow down if it’s unsafe to change lanes. Moreover, laws are in place in all 50 states to safeguard emergency personnel, law police, and other roadside workers. On that same note, understand school bus safety laws. 

If you see a school bus with its yellow lights flashing, slow down and get ready to stop. If the bus has red lights flashing and the stop-arm extended, then you need to stop and wait for the bus to switch these lights off and resume movement before you can resume driving. It is illegal to speed up and pass a bus when it has red or yellow lights flashing. Be especially vigilant about keeping an eye out for kids, even if a bus doesn’t have flashing lights.

Stay up to date on recalls for your vehicles.

There are several ways to check for recalls. The NHTSA has great resources for checking for recalls that can be found here.

Contact Whittel & Melton if you are injured in a car accident.

Making slight changes can lead to big results. Keeping everyone safer on the roads is a goal we can all get behind in 2025. However, accidents are a part of life, no matter how careful we are to prevent them.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident in Florida, our personal injury lawyers at Whittel & Melton are here to help. Call us anytime at 866-608-5529 or contact us online 24/7 to request a complimentary consultation.