1,848 CRASHES IN
OHIO, OH
2021

In 2021, motorists accounted for all 16 fatalities and the vast majority of injuries, with 653 motorists injured. While there were no pedestrian or cyclist fatalities, 9 pedestrians were injured in crashes. No cyclist injuries were recorded in the dataset for this period.

Crash frequency in Ashtabula County during 2021 varied by time of day and week. Fridays saw the highest number of crashes with 333 incidents, while the afternoon commute, particularly the 3 p.m. hour, was the daily peak with 137 crashes. Analysis of lighting conditions shows that 1,142 crashes occurred during daylight, while 702 occurred during dark or twilight conditions.

The majority of crashes in 2021, 73.4% (1,357 incidents), resulted in no injuries. Injury-related crashes accounted for 25.7% of the total, distributed among serious (3.5%), minor (13.7%), and possible (8.5%) injury categories. There were 15 fatal crashes, which resulted in a total of 16 fatalities, indicating at least one crash involved multiple deaths.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 15 fatal crash events resulted in 16 persons killed.

The majority of crashes occurred in ideal driving conditions. Specifically, 71.9% of incidents (1,329 crashes) happened on dry roads, 61.8% (1,142 crashes) took place in daylight, and 54.5% (1,008 crashes) were in clear weather. Crashes in adverse conditions included 177 in rain and 105 in snow, while 365 crashes occurred on wet road surfaces.

Analysis of persons involved in crashes shows the 26-34 age group was the most represented, with 600 individuals. The top five vehicle makes involved in crashes were Chevrolet (502 vehicles), Ford (414), Honda (220), and a tie between Toyota and Dodge (both 196).

The initial point of impact for most crashes (1,336 incidents) was on the primary roadway. However, a notable number of crashes originated off the travel lanes, with 430 occurring on the roadside, 33 on the shoulder, and 10 in the median. Combined, these run-off-road events represent 26.5% of all crashes.

Data on traffic control devices at crash locations, recorded per vehicle unit, shows that the majority of units (2,110, or 74.6%) were involved in crashes at locations with no traffic control present. In contrast, 393 units (13.9%) were involved in crashes at signalized intersections, and 271 units were at locations with a stop sign.

Among contributing factors cited for drivers, "Drove off Road" was the most common, attributed to 362 units. This was followed by "Following too Close / ACDA" with 273 units and "Failure to Yield" with 251 units. "Unsafe Speed" was another significant factor, cited for 126 driver units involved in crashes.

A total of 130 crashes involved a commercial truck, accounting for 7.0% of all crashes in the county. Of these, 74 incidents involved a semi-tractor trailer, while the remaining 56 involved other types of commercial vehicles.

Crashes involving vulnerable road users included 53 incidents with motorcyclists, 9 with pedestrians, and 4 with bicyclists. Combined, there were 13 crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists, a group that often faces a higher risk of severe injury in collisions.

Animal-related collisions accounted for 296 incidents, or 16.0% of all crashes in Ashtabula County. The vast majority of these, 278 crashes, involved collisions with deer, while 18 crashes involved other animals.

Impairment was a factor in 136 crashes, representing 7.4% of the total. Among these, alcohol was cited in 96 cases, drugs were a factor in 22 cases, and a combination of alcohol and drugs was noted in 18 cases. These figures represent a minimum baseline, as impairment can be under-reported.

Beyond normal driving conditions, several driver states were recorded at the time of crashes. The most frequent was being "Under the Influence of Medications / Drugs / Alcohol," noted for 117 drivers. Additionally, 40 drivers were reported as having fallen asleep or being fatigued, while illness was cited for 18 drivers.

Among drivers for whom a distraction was noted, the most common factor was "Other distraction inside the vehicle," cited in 72 cases. This was followed by distractions outside the vehicle (35 cases). Electronic device use was specifically mentioned in 30 instances, including 12 cases of manual operation like texting or typing.

While the majority of crashes (1,484) occurred on straight, level road segments, a portion took place on more complex geometries. Crashes on curves accounted for 7.5% of the total (139 incidents), and crashes on graded roads (uphill or downhill) made up 15.7% of the total (290 incidents).

The geographic distribution of crashes was concentrated in a few key areas. The City of Ashtabula accounted for the largest share, with 467 crashes, or 25.3% of the county's total. Following were Conneaut with 162 crashes (8.8%) and Saybrook with 141 crashes (7.6%).

Analysis of vehicle actions immediately prior to impact shows that the majority of units (1,765, or 62.4%) were moving straight ahead. The next most common pre-crash actions were slowing or being stopped in traffic (301 units) and making a left turn (222 units).

The most frequent type of crash was a single-vehicle incident, categorized as "Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport," which accounted for 1,039 crashes or 56.2% of the total. Among multi-vehicle collisions, angle crashes were most common (358 incidents, 19.4%), followed by rear-end collisions (254 incidents, 13.7%).

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, with 1,311 units, followed by sport utility vehicles (627 units) and pickup trucks (431 units). Commercial vehicles, including semi-tractors and single-unit trucks, were involved in approximately 7.0% of the recorded vehicle incidents.

Of the 3,807 individuals involved in crashes, the majority were drivers, accounting for 2,720 people (71.4%). Vehicle occupants (passengers) made up the next largest group with 1,078 individuals (28.3%), while 9 pedestrians were also involved in incidents.

Across all 3,807 people involved in crashes, 3,110 reported no injury. A total of 678 individuals sustained some level of injury, representing 17.8% of all persons involved. This includes 16 fatalities, 80 serious injuries, 347 minor injuries, and 235 possible injuries.

Among vehicle occupants for whom safety equipment use was documented, 3,038 were reported as using a shoulder and lap belt. However, 247 individuals were recorded as using no safety restraints at all, accounting for 7.2% of this group. An additional 167 individuals were secured by a child restraint system or booster seat.

The data shows a nearly even split between single-vehicle and two-vehicle crashes. Single-vehicle incidents accounted for 911 crashes (49.3%), while two-vehicle collisions numbered 896 (48.5%). Crashes involving three or more vehicles were far less common, with only 41 such incidents recorded, including one crash that involved six vehicles.