New research confirms that Florida is one of the riskiest places to get behind the wheel — with cities like Miami and Fort Lauderdale topping the list for dangerous driving behaviors.
The findings come from Life360, a popular family safety app that analyzed billions of data points from drivers across the country. According to its latest report, five of the top eight most crash-prone metro areas are in Florida, with South Florida leading the pack.
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WATCH HERERapid acceleration and hard braking are two common behaviors among Florida drivers, according to Life360’s spokesperson, Mike Zeman. Fort Lauderdale ranks second nationwide for rapid acceleration — a behavior strongly linked to increased crash risk.
“The Life360 app leverages phone sensors and GPS data to understand risky driving behavior,” said Zeman. “We look at things like crashes, speeding, hard braking, and rapid acceleration. A crash, for example, is defined as hitting something while going 25 miles an hour or more.”
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It’s not just Florida — distracted and dangerous driving is a national issue. Life360’s research uncovered some alarming statistics:
- 86% of drivers admit they’ve been distracted by technology while driving.
- 27% have changed clothes or applied makeup behind the wheel.
- Among Gen Z drivers, nearly half confessed to watching videos while on the road.
“Gen Z is the always-connected generation,” said Zeman. “Constant notifications, messages, and updates lighting up their phones make it harder to stay focused behind the wheel.”
Dangerous Drive
NBC6 travels around South Florida figuring out the different hotspots for crashes.
Parents like Heidi O’Connor say apps like Life360 have become essential as their teenagers take to the road. After her twins, Bennett and Grace, started driving, O’Connor began using the app to monitor their habits and ensure they stayed safe.
“For them to be out on the road without a parent telling them to slow down or where to go — using Life360 has been amazing,” she said. “They have their independence, but we can still keep an eye on them.”
The app not only tracks location but also sends alerts for behaviors like sudden stops, speeding, or crashes. O’Connor says she uses the data as a conversation starter, not a disciplinary tool.
“We don’t use it as a punishment,” she said. “It’s more about opening up conversations on road safety and helping them learn.”
Life360 encourages families to check driving reports regularly and keep the conversation going. Awareness, they say, is the first step to prevention — and even a simple chat could make all the difference.
