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Miami Ranks #5 in the Nation With 7.10 Fatal Intersection Crashes Per 100,000 Residents Annually

By  //  March 17, 2026

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

  • Miami, Florida, recorded the fifth-highest intersection fatal crash rate among the 50 largest U.S. cities at 7.10 per 100,000 residents annually.
  • Miami averaged 33.0 fatal intersection crashes per year from 2019 to 2023, totaling 165 over the five years.
  • Florida places two cities in the top 6 nationally: Miami (7.10, ranked 5th) and Tampa (6.72, ranked 6th). All three Florida cities in the study rank in the top 13, with Jacksonville at 4.30 (ranked 13th).

Every day, hundreds of thousands of Miami residents navigate traffic intersections where turning vehicles, changing signals, and crossing paths create a high-risk environment. Despite safety upgrades, intersections in the Magic City continue to account for a disproportionate share of traffic fatalities, and new data reveal Miami is the fifth most dangerous large city in America for intersection crashes.

According to an analysis by Grigor Law Injury & Car Accident Lawyers, the study examined fatal intersection crashes in the 50 largest U.S. cities from 2019 to 2023 using NHTSA CDAN data, calculated each city’s annual average and per capita fatal crash rate per 100,000 residents, then ranked cities from the highest fatal crash rate (most dangerous) to the lowest (safest).

Miami Ranks #5 Among 50 Largest U.S. Cities With 7.10 Fatal Intersection Crashes Per 100,000 Residents Annually

The following table presents the 10 cities with the highest per capita intersection fatal crash rates from 2019 to 2023, with Miami highlighted.

Rank City State Population Annual Avg Fatal Crashes Rate per 100,000
1 Memphis Tennessee 607,581 62.8 10.34
2 Tucson Arizona 550,306 54.6 9.92
3 Detroit Michigan 629,830 54.8 8.70
4 Albuquerque New Mexico 557,198 43.8 7.86
5 Miami Florida 464,655 33.0 7.10
6 Tampa Florida 413,657 27.8 6.72
7 Louisville Kentucky 617,027 38.2 6.19
8 Milwaukee Wisconsin 550,837 33.0 5.99
9 Phoenix Arizona 1,675,144 92.2 5.50
10 Colorado Springs Colorado 494,219 23.0 4.65

Miami’s rate of 7.10 fatal intersection crashes per 100,000 residents places it fifth nationally. Miami’s rate is 1.9 times the 50-city average of 3.83 and 4.9 times higher than the safest city, New York City (1.45 per 100,000). Notably, fellow Florida city Tampa ranks directly behind Miami at 6th.

Looking at the study, Chrissy Grigoropoulos, Founding Partner at Grigor Law Injury & Car Accident Lawyers, commented:

“Miami’s position as the fifth most dangerous city for intersection fatalities is a serious concern for residents. A rate of 7.10 fatal intersection crashes per 100,000 residents, 4.9 times that of New York City, tells us that intersection design, signal timing, and traffic engineering decisions carry life-or-death consequences for Miami residents every single day.”

Florida’s Intersection Crisis: Miami and Tampa Rank Back-to-Back in the Top 6 Nationally

Florida is the only state with two cities in the top 6 nationally for intersection fatality rates. All three Florida cities in the study rank in the top 13, combining for 521 fatal intersection crashes over the five-year period.

Metric Miami Tampa Jacksonville
Population 464,655 413,657 1,008,485
Total Fatal Intersection Crashes (2019–2023) 165 139 217
Annual Average Fatal Crashes 33.0 27.8 43.4
Rate per 100,000 Residents 7.10 6.72 4.30
National Rank (of 50) 5th 6th 13th

Miami and Tampa rank back-to-back at 5th and 6th nationally with rates of 7.10 and 6.72, respectively. Jacksonville, despite recording the highest raw total in Florida (217 crashes over five years), has a lower per capita rate of 4.30 due to its significantly larger population of over one million. Combined, Florida’s three cities averaged 6.04 fatal intersection crashes per 100,000, well above the 50-city average of 3.83.

Miami Leads All Southeast Peer Cities in Intersection Fatality Rate

When compared against other major Southeast and Sun Belt peer cities, Miami’s intersection fatality crisis stands in sharp relief.

Rank City State Population Rate per 100,000
5 Miami Florida 464,655 7.10
6 Tampa Florida 413,657 6.72
13 Jacksonville Florida 1,008,485 4.30
19 Atlanta Georgia 518,107 3.71
39 Charlotte North Carolina 935,017 2.46
46 Raleigh North Carolina 493,589 1.82

Miami’s rate of 7.10 is 1.9 times higher than Atlanta (3.71) and 2.9 times higher than Charlotte (2.46). Even Raleigh, a city of comparable population, records a rate of just 1.82, less than one-quarter of Miami’s. The gap underscores that Miami faces an intersection safety challenge unmatched by any comparable Southeast metropolitan area.

165 Fatal Intersection Crashes in 5 Years: One Every 11 Days in Miami

Between 2019 and 2023, Miami recorded 165 fatal crashes at intersections, translating to an annual average of 33.0. That pace means Miami experienced approximately 2.8 fatal intersection crashes every month, or roughly one every 11 days. For context, Miami’s annual total of 33.0 approaches or exceeds the totals of many cities with significantly larger populations:

City State Population Annual Avg Fatal Crashes Rate per 100,000
Miami Florida 464,655 33.0 7.10
Indianapolis Indiana 874,037 39.2 4.48
Columbus Ohio 917,679 32.0 3.49
Charlotte North Carolina 935,017 23.0 2.46
San Jose California 943,212 25.6 2.71

Miami, with just 464,655 residents, the smallest population in the top 5 deadliest cities, records more annual fatal intersection crashes than Columbus (32.0), a city nearly double its size. It approaches Indianapolis (39.2), which has nearly twice the population. This disproportionate toll illustrates the severity of Miami’s intersection safety crisis relative to its population size.

Methodology

Data for this analysis were extracted from the NHTSA CDAN Query Tool. The study focused on fatal motor vehicle crashes at intersections in the top 50 U.S. cities by population, covering the five years from 2019 to 2023. For each city, the total number of fatal intersection crashes over the five years was divided by five to produce an annual average. The annual average was then divided by the city’s population and multiplied by 100,000 to calculate a per capita fatal crash rate. Cities were ranked from the highest fatal crash rate (most dangerous) to the lowest (safest).

Data Sources

About Grigor Law Injury & Car Accident Lawyers

The study was conducted by Grigor Law Injury & Car Accident Lawyers, a premier New York “all injury” law firm representing clients in personal injury, car accidents, workers’ compensation, and no-fault claims.