523 CRASHES IN
AMHERST, OH
2021

In 2021, motorists accounted for all 2 fatalities and 158 injuries. Pedestrians experienced 3 injuries, with no pedestrian fatalities recorded. There were no reported fatalities or injuries among cyclists in this period.

Crash data for 2021 indicates that the highest number of crashes, 89, occurred on Fridays. The peak hour for crashes was 3 PM, with 48 incidents. A majority of crashes, 66.3%, occurred during daylight hours, while 150 crashes happened during dark conditions.

The majority of crashes in Amherst during 2021, 80.3%, resulted in no injuries. Crashes involving any injury (possible, minor, serious) accounted for 19.7% of the total. There were 2 fatal crash events, which resulted in 2 total fatalities.

Most crashes in 2021 occurred under favorable conditions, with 64.2% happening in clear weather, 80.3% on dry road surfaces, and 66.3% during daylight. Adverse conditions were present in 45 crashes during rain, 23 during snow, 81 on wet roads, and 20 on snowy roads.

Among the persons involved in crashes, individuals aged 35-44 were most represented with 166 individuals, followed closely by those aged 65+ with 162 individuals. Ford vehicles were involved in 202 incidents, making them the most frequently appearing make, followed by Chevrolet with 117 involvements.

The majority of crashes, 424, occurred directly on the roadway. Crashes occurring off the travel lanes, including on the roadside (36), on the shoulder (14), and in the median (4), collectively accounted for 54 incidents, representing 10.3% of all crashes.

The dominant traffic control type associated with crashes was "No Control," accounting for 574 instances. Signalized locations were associated with 275 incidents, while uncontrolled locations (No Control, Stop Sign, Yield Sign, Flasher) collectively accounted for 634 instances.

The most frequently cited contributing factors were "Following too Close / ACDA" with 119 instances, "Failure to Yield" with 83 instances, and "Drove off Road" with 46 instances. "Improper Lane Change" and "Improper Turn" were also significant, with 42 and 31 instances respectively.

Commercial vehicles were involved in 64 crashes in 2021, representing 12.2% of all crashes. Of these, 53 involved Semi-Tractor Trailers and 11 involved Other Commercial Vehicles.

Crashes involving vulnerable road users included 3 pedestrians and 1 bicyclist, totaling 4 incidents. These combined pedestrian and bicyclist crashes represent approximately 0.76% of all crashes.

Animal-related crashes accounted for 55 incidents in 2021, representing 10.5% of all crashes. Deer strikes were the predominant type, involved in 53 of these incidents, with 2 involving other animals.

Impairment was identified in 23 crashes, accounting for 4.4% of all incidents. Alcohol was a factor in 17 crashes, while drugs alone were a factor in 3 crashes, and both alcohol and drugs were present in 3 crashes.

Abnormal driver conditions were noted in 27 instances. These included 14 drivers reported as "Under the Influence of Medications / Drugs / Alcohol," 6 with "Physical Impairment," and 5 who "Fell Asleep; Fainted; Fatigued; etc."

Driver distraction was identified in 25 instances. The most common identified distraction was "Other distraction inside the vehicle" with 15 instances, followed by "Manually operating an electronic communication device" with 4 instances.

Approximately 8.6% of crashes occurred on curves (45 incidents), and 7.6% occurred on grades (40 incidents). The majority of crashes occurred on straight, level road alignments.

The most frequent pre-crash action reported was "Straight Ahead" with 457 instances, representing 50.55% of identified actions. "Slowing or Stopped In Traffic" was the second most common, with 162 instances. "Making Left Turn" accounted for 82 instances.

The most common manner of collision was "Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport," accounting for 34% of crashes. Rear-end collisions were the second most frequent at 25%, followed by angle collisions at 22%.

Passenger cars were the dominant vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 387 vehicles or 42.48% of all vehicles. Commercial or heavy vehicles, including Semi-Tractors, Single Unit Trucks, Cargo Vans, and Buses, collectively accounted for 100 vehicles, representing 10.98% of all vehicles.

Drivers constituted the largest group of persons involved in crashes, with 870 individuals or 73% of the total. Occupants accounted for 319 individuals (26.7%), while pedestrians represented 3 individuals (0.25%).

Out of 1192 persons involved, 2 fatalities were recorded, representing 0.17%. A total of 161 persons sustained injuries (serious, minor, or possible), accounting for 13.5% of all persons.

Among those for whom safety equipment use was recorded, 1025 individuals used shoulder and lap belts. A total of 54 individuals were recorded as using no safety equipment, representing 4.7% of those with recorded equipment use.

The majority of crashes, 362 incidents, involved two vehicles, accounting for 69.2% of all crashes. Single-vehicle crashes represented 148 incidents, or 28.3% of the total.