6,523 CRASHES IN
AKRON, OH
2021

Motorists constituted the largest group of those killed or injured, with 22 fatalities and 2,024 injuries. Pedestrians, a vulnerable road user group, experienced 4 fatalities and 76 injuries. No cyclist fatalities or injuries were reported in 2021.

Crashes in Akron during 2021 peaked on Fridays, with 1,013 incidents recorded, and the most frequent hour for crashes was 6 PM, with 476 occurrences. Approximately 59.9% of crashes (3,914 incidents) occurred during daytime hours (6 AM to 6 PM), while 40.1% (2,609 incidents) happened during nighttime hours (7 PM to 5 AM).

The majority of crashes in 2021, 77.5% (5,057 incidents), resulted in no reported injuries. Injury-involved crashes, encompassing serious, minor, and possible injuries, collectively accounted for 22.1% (1,442 incidents). There were 24 fatal crashes recorded, which resulted in a total of 26 fatalities.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 24 fatal crash events resulted in 26 persons killed.

A majority of crashes in 2021 occurred under favorable conditions, with 55.4% happening in clear weather, 76.7% on dry road surfaces, and 64.4% during daylight hours. Conversely, 13.4% of crashes occurred in adverse weather conditions such as rain or snow, 21.6% on wet or icy road surfaces, and 29.6% in dark conditions.

The age group 26-34 was most represented among persons involved in crashes, with 2,559 individuals. Passenger cars were the most frequently involved vehicle type, and Ford and Chevrolet vehicles were almost equally represented as the top two makes, with 1,754 and 1,753 occurrences respectively.

The vast majority of crashes, 5,870 incidents, occurred on the roadway itself. However, 458 crashes, or 7.0% of the total, took place off the primary travel lanes, including on the roadside, shoulder, median, or outside the trafficway.

Traffic control data indicates that 63.2% of crash observations (7,899 units) occurred at locations with no traffic control present. Signalized intersections accounted for 27.0% of crash observations (3,377 units), making 'No Control' the dominant traffic control condition at crash sites.

Among contributing factors, 'Other Improper Action' was the most cited, accounting for 33.2% of reported driver actions. 'Following too Close / ACDA' was the second most common factor at 22.7%, followed by 'Failure to Yield' at 8.4%.

Commercial vehicles were involved in 362 crashes, representing 5.5% of all incidents. Of these, 195 involved 'Other Commercial Vehicles' and 167 involved 'Semi-Tractor Trailers'.

Crashes involving vulnerable road users included 80 pedestrians and 31 bicyclists, totaling 111 incidents. These pedestrian and bicyclist crashes collectively accounted for 1.7% of all crashes.

Animal-related crashes totaled 37 incidents, making up 0.6% of all crashes. Of these, 32 incidents involved deer, while 5 involved other animals.

Impaired driving was a factor in 156 crashes, representing 2.4% of all incidents. Alcohol was cited in 118 cases, drugs in 23 cases, and a combination of both alcohol and drugs in 15 cases.

While most drivers were reported as 'Apparently Normal,' a total of 242 drivers, or 2.3% of those observed, were noted to have abnormal conditions. These included being under the influence of medications/drugs/alcohol (95), emotional (57), physically impaired (39), fatigued/asleep (35), or ill (16).

Driver distraction was identified in 153 instances, representing 1.5% of all observed drivers. The most frequent specific distractions included 'Other distraction inside the vehicle' (58) and 'Other distraction outside the vehicle' (34).

Roadway alignment data shows that 8.3% of crashes (540 incidents) occurred on curves, while 25.5% of crashes (1,662 incidents) occurred on grades. The most common alignment was 'Straight Level,' accounting for 4,596 crashes.

The most common pre-crash action reported was 'Straight Ahead,' accounting for 55.1% of observed actions. 'Slowing or Stopped In Traffic' was the second most frequent at 15.0%, followed by 'Making Left Turn' at 8.0%.

The dominant manner of collision was 'Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport,' representing 24.9% of all crashes. Rear-end collisions followed closely, accounting for 22.7% of crashes, while angle collisions made up 22.5%.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 5,820 vehicles. Commercial vehicles, including single unit trucks, semi-tractors, and cargo vans, represented 4.3% of all vehicles involved.

Drivers constituted the largest group of persons involved in crashes, with 11,628 individuals. Occupants accounted for 3,707 persons, while pedestrians represented 103 persons.

Among all persons involved in crashes, 26 individuals sustained fatal injuries, and 2,100 individuals sustained injuries of varying severity (serious, minor, or possible). This means 14.88% of persons had some level of injury, and 0.18% were fatally injured.

Analysis of safety equipment use shows that 567 persons were not using any safety restraints, representing 4.6% of those for whom safety equipment use was reported. The majority, 11,027 persons, used shoulder and lap belts.

The data indicates that 970 crashes, or 14.9% of the total, involved only a single vehicle. A small number of crashes involved four or more vehicles, with 69 such incidents reported, including one crash with 10 vehicles.