PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (CBS12) — Nearly 10,000 crashes in less than two years. At first glance, the numbers in Port St. Lucie look alarming. But dig deeper, and the city tells a very different story: one of the safest places to drive in Florida.

According to the Port St. Lucie Police Department, the city recorded roughly 5,500 crashes in 2024 and has already logged close to 4,000 crashes in 2025 as of mid-September. That adds up to more than 9,500 wrecks in just 20 months — an average of about 15 crashes a day, or one every 90 minutes.

It seems concerning, but Port St. Lucie Police spokesperson Dominick Mesiti says raw numbers don’t tell the whole story.

“It sounds like a lot, but per person, Port St. Lucie actually ranks third safest out of 19 big cities in Florida,” said Mesiti.

Growing city, steady crash rate

One reason the city’s totals seem so high is because Port St. Lucie is booming. The population has grown by 10,000 to 15,000 people in just the past year, and by more than 50,000 residents since 2020.

The current population is estimated at 258,000 — making Port St. Lucie Florida’s seventh-largest city.

Despite the surge, the crash rate has held steady. In 2024, Port St. Lucie recorded 2,181 crashes per 100,000 residents — one of the lowest per-capita rates among Florida cities over 100,000 people.

How cities compare

According to Signal4 Analytics, which compiles crash data from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Port St. Lucie ranks third safest among the 19 Florida cities with populations over 100,000.

For context, West Palm Beach reported nearly the same number of crashes as Port St. Lucie in 2024 — 5,194 compared to 5,540 — despite having about half the population, roughly 130,000 residents.

That means on a per-capita basis, drivers in West Palm are nearly twice as likely to be involved in a crash compared to drivers in Port St. Lucie.

Here’s how big cities stacked up in 2024:

Palm Bay — 2,720 crashes; population 140,199; 1,940 crashes per 100,000 residents (lowest in Florida).Miramar — 2,849 crashes; population 139,500; 2,043 per 100,000.Port St. Lucie — 5,540 crashes; population 253,959; 2,181 per 100,000.Cape Coral — 4,229 crashes; population 220,236; 1,920 per 100,000.Gainesville — 3,367 crashes; population 147,909; 2,276 per 100,000.West Palm Beach — 5,194 crashes; population 127,744; 4,067 per 100,000.Boca Raton — 4,676 crashes; population 100,564; 4,648 per 100,000.Fort Lauderdale — 9,518 crashes; population 189,583; 5,019 per 100,000.Hialeah — 11,578 crashes; population 230,575; 5,021 per 100,000.Miami — 23,143 crashes; population 467,171; 4,954 per 100,000.Residents see distraction on the roads

For some residents, the constant stream of police calls and crash reports makes the problem feel larger.

“I have, and I’ve only been living here like four and a half years. So, you know, it just seems like a lot to me,” said Shirley, a Port St. Lucie resident. “They’re on their phone. And, you know, they’re not paying attention to what they’re doing.”

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Countywide picture

Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) data show the pattern at the county level as well:

St. Lucie County (population ~350,000): 5,600 crashes in 2024; 3,800 so far in 2025.Palm Beach County (population ~1.5 million): 26,550 crashes in 2024; 17,800 so far in 2025.

While Port St. Lucie makes up nearly all of St. Lucie County’s crash totals, West Palm Beach represents just a fraction of Palm Beach County’s numbers.

Enforcement and technology

Mesiti said the department isn’t ignoring the crash totals.

Since late 2024, traffic enforcement and education have been top priorities under the city’s new police chief. That includes targeted patrols for aggressive driving, red-light running and speeding, as well as the use of smart traffic signals and camera systems to reduce congestion.

The city is also redesigning busy intersections, including Peacock Boulevard and St. Lucie West Boulevard.

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