542 CRASHES IN
OHIO, OH
2021

Of the 7 total fatalities, 6 were motorists and 1 was a pedestrian. All 199 non-fatal injuries recorded were sustained by motorists. No cyclists were killed or injured in crashes during this period. The data highlights that motorists constitute the vast majority of those killed or injured in Adams County crashes, though a pedestrian fatality underscores the risk to vulnerable road users.

Crash patterns show a distinct peak on Thursdays, which saw 99 incidents, more than any other day of the week. The single busiest hour for crashes was 6 a.m., with 39 recorded events. Overall, more crashes occurred during daylight hours (318 incidents) than during all periods of darkness and low light combined (224 incidents).

The majority of crashes, 71.2% (386 incidents), resulted in no injuries. However, 27.7% of crashes led to at least one person being injured, with 24 crashes causing serious injuries and 86 causing minor injuries. There were 6 separate fatal crashes, which resulted in a total of 7 fatalities, indicating at least one crash involved multiple deaths.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 6 fatal crash events resulted in 7 persons killed.

A significant majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions. Over 70% of incidents (381 crashes) happened on dry roads, and 57.4% (311 crashes) took place in clear weather. Similarly, 58.7% of all crashes (318 incidents) occurred in daylight. The most common adverse condition was a wet road surface, present in 130 crashes, followed by crashes in darkness on unlighted roadways, which accounted for 181 incidents.

Among the 967 people involved in crashes, the most represented age groups were 16-20 year-olds (145 people) and 35-44 year-olds (144 people). An analysis of the 720 vehicles involved shows that Chevrolet was the most frequent make, with 198 vehicles, followed by Ford with 138 and Dodge with 55. Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved (334 units), followed by pickups (167 units) and Sport Utility Vehicles (129 units).

Analysis of the initial point of impact shows that a significant portion of crashes were run-off-road events. While 276 crashes (50.9%) occurred on the roadway itself, 266 crashes (49.1%) had their first harmful event occur off the primary travel lanes, including 256 on the roadside and 9 on the shoulder.

The vast majority of vehicles involved in crashes were at locations with no traffic controls present, accounting for 627 of the 720 vehicles. Vehicles at locations with stop signs were involved in 50 crashes, while those at signalized intersections were involved in 38. This indicates that most incidents occurred on open road segments rather than at controlled junctions.

Among driver-related actions cited as contributing to crashes, unsafe speed was the most common, attributed to 144 drivers. The second most frequent factor was driving off the road, noted for 85 drivers. Other primary contributing factors included failure to yield (51 drivers), following too closely (45 drivers), and driving left of center (28 drivers).

Crashes involved a total of 28 commercial vehicles. Of these, 17 were semi-tractor-trailers and 11 were classified as other types of commercial vehicles. These incidents represent a specialized category of crashes often associated with higher severity and unique causal factors.

A total of 10 crashes involved either a motorcyclist or a vulnerable road user. These included 9 incidents with motorcyclists and one incident involving a pedestrian. No crashes involving bicyclists were recorded in this period.

Animal strikes were a significant factor, accounting for 101 total crashes, or 18.6% of all incidents in the county. The vast majority of these, 88 crashes, involved deer. An additional 13 crashes were attributed to collisions with other, unspecified types of animals.

Impaired driving was a factor in 49 crashes, representing 9.0% of all incidents. Among these, alcohol was the sole factor for 25 drivers, drugs were the sole factor for 17 drivers, and a combination of alcohol and drugs was suspected for 7 drivers. These figures represent a minimum baseline, as impairment can be under-reported.

Beyond normal driving conditions, a specific physical or mental condition was noted for 58 of the 711 drivers. The most common condition was being under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol, reported for 48 drivers. An additional 8 drivers were noted as having fallen asleep, fainted, or been fatigued.

A specific distraction was identified for 38 of the 711 drivers involved in crashes. The most common cited distractions were non-specific, with 17 drivers distracted by something inside the vehicle and 8 by something outside. Manually operating an electronic device like a phone was a factor for 3 drivers.

Road geometry played a role in a majority of crashes. Over half of all incidents (287 crashes, or 53.0%) occurred on a grade, whether straight or curved. Additionally, 200 crashes, representing 36.9% of the total, took place while a vehicle was on a curve.

Crash distribution across the county was led by the townships of Tiffin and Meigs, each with 60 incidents. They were followed by Liberty (55 crashes), Sprigg (53 crashes), and Franklin (45 crashes). Combined, these five areas accounted for 273 crashes, representing 50.4% of the county's total for the year.

The most common action drivers were taking immediately before a crash was driving straight ahead, which accounted for 407 vehicles (56.5%). The second most frequent pre-crash action was negotiating a curve, involving 176 vehicles (24.4%). Making a left turn was the third most common action, noted for 44 vehicles.

The dominant crash type was single-vehicle incidents, classified as 'Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport,' which accounted for 392 crashes, or 72.3% of the total. Among multi-vehicle crashes, angle collisions were the most frequent type, with 57 incidents, followed by rear-end collisions, with 38 incidents.

Passenger cars were the most common type of vehicle in crashes, with 334 units involved. Pick-up trucks (167 units) and Sport Utility Vehicles (129 units) were the next most frequent. In total, trucks of various sizes, including pickups, semi-tractors, and single-unit trucks, were involved in 190 of the 720 vehicle counts.

Of the 967 individuals involved in crashes, the majority were drivers (711 people, or 73.5%). Passengers, classified as occupants, made up the next largest group, with 254 individuals (26.3%). A small fraction of those involved were pedestrians, accounting for 2 people.

Among the 951 people whose injury status was recorded, 7 individuals (0.7%) sustained fatal injuries. An additional 199 people (20.9%) suffered non-fatal injuries, including 30 with serious injuries, 112 with minor injuries, and 57 with possible injuries. The vast majority, 745 people, were not injured.

Shoulder and lap belts were reportedly used by 789 vehicle occupants. However, 82 individuals, representing 8.5% of those with known safety equipment usage, were recorded as using no restraints at all. An additional 36 occupants were secured in various child restraint systems.

Single-vehicle crashes were the most common scenario, accounting for 370 of the 542 total incidents (68.3%). Crashes involving two vehicles were the next most frequent, with 166 occurrences. A small number of incidents, 6 crashes, involved three vehicles.