Crashes/the Emerald Coast

Car crashes on the Emerald Coast

From 2020–2024, 553 fatal crashes killed 594 people on the Emerald Coast, according to NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System. In 2024 there were 106 fatal crashes and 107 deaths. The road with the most fatal crashes was US 98 (Bay) (44). 22% involved a motorcycle.

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), fatal crashes 2020–2024, loaded October 31, 2026. FARS counts crashes in which someone died within 30 days. We never publish names of the people involved.

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553fatal crashes, 2020–2024

594people killed

106fatal crashes in 2024

120involved a motorcycle

96involved a pedestrian

Fatal crashes by year on the Emerald Coast

Fatal crashesDeaths (number on top)

Year	Fatal crashes	Deaths
2020	117	130
2021	135	151
2022	107	111
2023	88	95
2024	106	107

Where fatal crashes happened, 2020–2024

553 crashes on the map. Each dot is one fatal crash; bigger dots killed more than one person. Tap a dot for year and road.

Most dangerous roads on the Emerald Coast

Ranked by fatal crashes from 2020–2024. Busy roads have more crashes partly because more people drive them.

Road	Fatal crashes	Deaths
Most US 98 (Bay)	44	44
US 98 (Okaloosa)	32	33
SR 85 (Okaloosa)	29	36
US 231 (Bay)	29	35
US 90 (Walton)	24	26
US 331 (Walton)	20	22
US 98 (Walton)	20	20
I-10 (Santa Rosa)	17	18
SR 87 (Santa Rosa)	14	14
US 90 (Santa Rosa)	12	12

What kind of crashes

120Motorcycle crashes · 22% · 126 deaths

60Crashes with a large truck · 11% · 65 deaths

96Crashes that killed or involved a pedestrian · 17% · 97 deaths

35Crashes involving a bicyclist · 6% · 35 deaths

104Crashes where a driver had been drinking · 19% · 113 deaths

293Crashes in the dark · 53% · 308 deaths

Large trucks follow NHTSA's definition (over 10,000 lb). A crash can count in more than one group.

By county

Bay County173 fatal crashes · 189 deaths Okaloosa County143 fatal crashes · 154 deaths Walton County127 fatal crashes · 138 deaths Santa Rosa County110 fatal crashes · 113 deaths

Crash report and deadline

Florida

Crash report: Florida Crash Portal (FLHSMV). $10 per report, plus a $2 online convenience fee. For the first 60 days the report is confidential: only the people involved, their lawyers, insurers and licensed insurance agents can get it, with a sworn statement. After 60 days it is a public record. (Fla. Stat. 316.066)

Deadline to file: 2 years An action founded on negligence must be filed within two years. Fla. Stat. 95.11(5)(a). Wrongful death actions also have a two-year limit, Fla. Stat. 95.11(5)(e). The two-year negligence limit applies to causes of action that accrued after March 24, 2023.

General information, not legal advice. What to do after a crash, step by step ›

Latest crash and road news

Golf cart rules in Destin, Miramar Beach, Fort Walton Beach and Panama City Beach Oct 30, 2026

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Auto Repair Shops near you

From our local directory, with phone and hours. Featured listings are marked. See all ›

Express Oil Change & Service Center

Pace · Verified Oct. 29, 2026

Mon-Fri 08:00-18:00 · Sat 08:00-17:00

Call (850) 736-8044WebsiteDirections

Grease Monkey

Callaway · Verified Oct. 29, 2026

Mon-Fri 08:00-19:00 · Sat 08:00-18:00 · Sun 09:00-17:00

Call (850) 872-8962WebsiteDirections

Southern Tire Mart

DeFuniak Springs · Verified Oct. 29, 2026

Mon-Fri 07:00-17:00 · Sat 07:00-00:00

Call (850) 951-2180Directions

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Drivers who just had a crash read this page looking for a tow or a repair shop.

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Lawyers on the Emerald Coast

Free listings from our local directory, in alphabetical order. We do not rank, recommend or refer lawyers, and no lawyer pays to appear here.

Crestview Car Accident Lawyer Group · Crestview
Destin Car Accident Lawyer Group · Destin
Fort Walton Beach Car Accident Lawyer Group · Fort Walton Beach
Lynn Haven Car Accident Lawyer Group · Lynn Haven
Niceville Car Accident Lawyer Group · Niceville
Panama City Car Accident Lawyer Group · Panama City

All lawyers in our directory › · Is your firm missing? Add or correct a free listing.

Know a dangerous spot?

Tell us about an intersection, curve or crossing where you have seen near misses. An editor reviews every report and we publish them as "Reader reports", apart from the official data, never with your name or address. Please do not send names or photos of people involved in a crash.

Report a dangerous road or intersection: where it is and what happens there.
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Questions people ask on the Emerald Coast

How many fatal car crashes happen on the Emerald Coast?

What are the most dangerous roads on the Emerald Coast?

By fatal crashes from 2020–2024: US 98 (Bay) (44 fatal crashes, 44 deaths); US 98 (Okaloosa) (32 fatal crashes, 33 deaths); SR 85 (Okaloosa) (29 fatal crashes, 36 deaths); US 231 (Bay) (29 fatal crashes, 35 deaths); US 90 (Walton) (24 fatal crashes, 26 deaths). Source: NHTSA FARS.

How many motorcycle crashes were fatal on the Emerald Coast?

120 fatal motorcycle crashes from 2020–2024, with 126 deaths (NHTSA FARS).

How many crashes with a large truck were fatal on the Emerald Coast?

60 fatal crashes with a large truck from 2020–2024, with 65 deaths (NHTSA FARS).

How many crashes that killed or involved a pedestrian were fatal on the Emerald Coast?

96 fatal crashes that killed or involved a pedestrian from 2020–2024, with 97 deaths (NHTSA FARS).

How do I get a crash report in Florida?

Florida Crash Portal (FLHSMV): $10 per report, plus a $2 online convenience fee. For the first 60 days the report is confidential: only the people involved, their lawyers, insurers and licensed insurance agents can get it, with a sworn statement. After 60 days it is a public record.

How long do I have to file a car accident claim in Florida?

An action founded on negligence must be filed within two years. (Fla. Stat. 95.11(5)(a)). This is general information, not legal advice.

How we build this page: fatal crashes from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (2020–2024, the latest year NHTSA has released), counted by county and by city when the crash was inside city limits. State rules quoted from state law and the agencies' own pages, checked October 31, 2026. Download the data: crashes.csv.