Duval County: alert for young drivers; county with the highest mortality in Florida
Duval County has emerged as Florida’s epicenter of road risk for teenagers. A new study places the county among the ten most dangerous in the nation for drivers ages 15–19 and, within the state, as the county with the highest per-capita young driver mortality. The warning lands amid rapid population growth, heavy traffic across Northeast Florida corridors, and driving habits that continue to claim lives far too young.
The research, conducted by MRC Law using the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Crash Data Analysis and Statistics (CDAN) platform, analyzed 2019–2023 and found that Duval averages 49 deaths of young drivers per 100,000 residents—53% above the national average of 32. In absolute terms, the county recorded an average of 15 fatalities annually among its 30,554 residents ages 15–19; 2023 was the deadliest year (22), and 2020 the lowest (12).
Experts point to an immediate, workable action package at the state and local levels: strengthen Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) with passenger and curfew limits for new drivers; visible enforcement of speed, seat belts, and DUI on weekend nights; sustained school-based campaigns against phone use behind the wheel; and low-cost, at-home tech—apps that block notifications and family telematics—to shape habits in real time.
Infrastructure matters, too. Black-spot audits in Duval, improved lighting and signage at high-risk intersections, and traffic calming near schools and sports venues can reduce crash severity. Coordination among FDOT, county officials, and law enforcement is crucial to target the riskiest corridors and time windows.
Florida has room to act—and a clear urgency. If Duval aims to shed its statewide lead in young driver mortality, the path blends education, enforcement, roadway design, and community culture: a seat belt that clicks, a text that can wait, and a friend who says “I’ll drive” when the driver shouldn’t.
