227 CRASHES IN
OHIO, OH
MAY 2021

In May 2021, one motorist was killed and 94 motorists were injured in Allen County crashes. There were no fatalities or injuries reported for pedestrians or cyclists during this period. The data includes one crash involving a pedestrian and one involving a bicycle, neither of which resulted in reported injuries.

Crashes in Allen County occurred most frequently on Mondays and Saturdays, with each day recording 38 incidents. The peak time for crashes was the 3 p.m. hour, which saw 30 crashes, followed by the 4 p.m. hour with 26 crashes, indicating a significant concentration during the afternoon.

The majority of crashes, 73.6% (167 incidents), resulted in no injuries. However, 26.4% of crashes involved some level of injury, including one fatal crash, six with serious injuries, and 29 with minor injuries. The single fatal crash resulted in one person killed.

A significant majority of crashes happened in favorable conditions. Clear weather was reported for 159 crashes (69.9%), and 200 crashes (88.1%) occurred on dry road surfaces. Daylight was the lighting condition for 165 crashes, accounting for 72.7% of the total.

Among the 499 people involved in crashes, the 16-20 age group was the most represented with 89 individuals, followed by the 26-34 age group with 81 individuals. The most frequent vehicle makes involved in crashes were Ford (73 vehicles), Chevrolet (63 vehicles), and Honda (34 vehicles).

Of the 227 crashes, 188 (82.8%) had their first harmful event occur on the roadway. A total of 29 crashes, or 12.8%, occurred off the primary travel lanes, with 18 on the roadside, 9 on the shoulder, and 2 in the median.

Analysis of the 396 vehicle units involved shows that 237 (59.8%) were in areas with no traffic control devices. At locations with controls, 112 units (28.3%) were involved in crashes at signalized intersections, and 41 units (10.4%) were at intersections with a stop sign.

The most commonly cited contributing factor for drivers was "Following too Close / ACDA," noted for 48 vehicle units. This was followed by "Failure to Yield" with 40 units and "Drove off Road" with 23 units.

Crashes involved 15 commercial trucks, including 12 semi-tractor trailers and 3 other commercial vehicle types. These vehicles were involved in a subset of the 227 total crashes.

A total of 26 crashes involved collisions with animals. The vast majority of these, 24 incidents, were strikes with deer.

Impairment was suspected for 18 drivers, which corresponds to 7.9% of all crashes. Alcohol was a factor in 13 cases, drugs in 3 cases, and a combination of alcohol and drugs in 2 cases.

Among 396 drivers and pedestrians, 28 were noted to have a physical or mental condition other than 'Apparently Normal'. This includes 14 drivers under the influence of substances, 6 who fell asleep or were fatigued, 4 who were emotional, and 4 with a physical impairment.

For the 396 drivers involved, a specific distraction was identified for 15 individuals. These included distractions inside or outside the vehicle (10 drivers), and activities involving an electronic device (5 drivers). The majority of drivers (320) were recorded as not distracted.

Most crashes (199, or 87.7%) occurred on straight, level sections of road. A total of 14 crashes (6.2%) happened on curves, while 16 crashes (7.0%) occurred on graded sections of road.

The City of Lima accounted for the largest share of crashes in the county, with 94 of the 227 total incidents (41.4%). Other notable locations included the townships of American with 27 crashes, Bath with 25 crashes, and Shawnee with 24 crashes.

Examining the actions of the 396 vehicles prior to impact, the most common maneuver was "Straight Ahead," accounting for 215 units (54.3%). The second most common action was "Slowing or Stopped In Traffic," which was the pre-crash action for 62 vehicles (15.7%).

Single-vehicle crashes, classified as "Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport," were the most frequent type, accounting for 90 incidents (39.6%). Among multi-vehicle crashes, rear-end and angle collisions were equally common, with each type representing 50 crashes (22.0%).

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, with 225 units, representing 56.8% of the 396 vehicles. Sport Utility Vehicles (77 units) and Pick-up trucks (40 units) were the next most frequent types.

Of the 499 individuals involved in crashes, 370 (74.1%) were drivers. Passengers accounted for 128 individuals (25.7%), and one person was a pedestrian.

Across all 499 people involved, one person sustained a fatal injury. A total of 94 individuals were injured: 11 with serious injuries, 30 with minor injuries, and 53 with possible injuries. The vast majority of people involved, 401 individuals (80.4%), were not injured.

Among 499 participants, 17 were recorded as using no safety equipment. In contrast, 391 individuals used a shoulder and lap belt. There were 15 instances of forward-facing child restraint use and 3 instances of helmet use.

Two-vehicle collisions were the most common scenario, accounting for 142 of the 227 crashes (62.6%). Single-vehicle crashes made up 31.7% of the total, with 72 incidents. Multi-vehicle incidents involving three or more vehicles were less frequent, with 13 such crashes recorded.