Florida Listed Among Top 10 States with Highest Vehicle Theft Rates in the US

The title says it all. Florida ranks in the Top 10 per capita in vehicle theft. It's a nightmare to deal with. When you walk to where your car should be. But it isn't. 1,001,967 vehicles were stolen in the US in 2022. So what are the odds in Florida of someone taking your ride?

In a report by carVertical, there were 7,853,979 registered vehicles in Florida in 2022. Of those, 45,973 were reported stolen. That's 5 vehicles stolen per 1,000. That puts us in 10th place in the country just below Ohio at 7 per 1,000. But what's up with number one on the list?

Colorado tops this list with 28 stolen vehicles per 1,000 registered. Your car is more than 5 times more likely to be stolen in Colorado than it is in Florida. Local station KKTV states that the largest source of that number comes from the Denver Airport. And "while 89% were recovered, stolen vehicles are often found damaged, scraped for parts, or in need of professional cleaning."

Taking a look at the specific car models most commonly stolen in 2022, the Chevrolet Pick-Up (Full Size) comes out on top with 48,206 thefts. Another truck is second on the list, the Ford Pick-Up (Full Size), with 47,999 thefts. With the high demand and high prices of trucks this is easy to see. My neighbor is selling his Toyota pickup with 80,000 miles on it and people were lined up for a chance to buy it from him. The next three spots are some very common cars.

The Honda Civic and Honda Accord rank third and fourth recording 31,673 and 30,274 thefts respectively. The Toyota Camry comes in with 17,270 thefts. This could simply be because there's so many of these cars out there.

I'm completely neurotic about vehicle theft. I have an app on my phone that allows me to see where my car is at all times. So I know she is still where I parked hert. I even used the app to lock my doors overnight when the valet left the car unlocked. If you car has the option of an app like this - do it. It gives such peace of mind.

Living in The Sunshine State, we have the luxury of going to the beach whenever we please, but seven out of the ten most dangerous beaches in the US are in Florida.

Since the hurricane, I just started back with my beach days about a month ago. So far, I've checked out Vanderbilt Beach in Naples, Fort Myers Beach and both Tarpon Bay and Bowman's Beach on Sanibel. I realized just how much I missed my beach days while cleanup efforts were underway. Whether you're staying local or traveling to other parts of the state, beaches can be dangerous. Of course, we don't like to think about that part as we're laying out, enjoying a cocktail, maybe playing a little volleyball. But unfortunately, something you look at as being fun and relaxing can come with some hazards that could even be deadly.

Recently, Travel Lens looked at different beaches around the US in terms of surfing deaths, hurricanes and shark attacks. What might not surprise you is that the deadliest beaches are along the East Coast. So thankfully here in SWFL, we have less to worry about. Though, that's not to say you shouldn't be careful. Fox put together a list of the top 10 most dangerous beaches in the country and seven of them are right here in Florida. You can check out the full list here, but let's see where beaches in Florida rank.

Fort Lauderdale has a danger score of 5.37 out of 10. This beach has seen three surf deaths and two shark attacks. Fort Lauderdale has also seen 120 hurricanes since 1851.

Jacksonville Beach has a danger score of 6.02 with three surfing fatalities, three shark attacks and 120 hurricane strikes.

Melbourne Beach is another beach on the East Coast of Florida and has a danger score of 6.35 out of 10. Melbourne Beach has seen three surfing deaths, six shark attacks and has seen 120 hurricanes since 1851.

While Panama City Beach has only had two shark attacks, surfing deaths are high with 24 since 2010. Panama City Beach has a danger score of 7.16.

Ormond Beach is another beach that has seen more surfing deaths (8) than shark attacks (4) and has a danger score of 7.48.

Cocoa Beach has a danger score of 7.57.

The most dangerous beach in the US is New Smyrna Beach with a danger score of 8.14. Just in the last 13 years, New Smyrna Beach has seen 10 surfing deaths and 32 shark attacks. The area has also seen 120 hurricanes since 1851.

EDIT: The data used in this "Seven Out Of The Ten Most Dangerous Beaches" list was from April. Panama City Beach now leads the nation in 2023 beach deaths. Despite double red flag warnings, tourists are still braving rip currents.