699 CRASHES IN
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH
2021

Pedestrians were the most impacted vulnerable road users, with 2 fatalities and 10 injuries. In total, 3 persons were killed and 175 persons were injured across all crash types. Motorists accounted for 1 fatality and 165 injuries.

The peak day for crashes was Thursday with 117 incidents, while the peak hour was 4 PM with 65 crashes. The majority of crashes, 476 out of 699 (68.1%), occurred during daylight conditions.

Of the 699 crashes, 551 (78.8%) resulted in no injuries, while 145 crashes involved some level of injury (A, B, or C severity). There were 3 fatal crashes, resulting in 3 total fatalities.

Most crashes occurred under clear weather (467 crashes, 66.8%), on dry road surfaces (502 crashes, 71.8%), and during daylight hours (476 crashes, 68.1%). However, 74 crashes occurred in rain and 38 in snow, while 119 occurred on wet roads and 29 on snowy roads.

The age group 26-34 was most represented among persons involved in crashes with 291 individuals. Passenger Cars were the most common vehicle type involved with 1043 instances, followed by Sport Utility Vehicles with 148 instances. Among specific makes, Chevrolet was most frequent with 153 vehicles, followed by Toyota with 106.

Of the reported crash locations, 651 instances occurred on the roadway. A total of 31 crashes (4.4%) occurred off the travel lanes, including 24 on the roadside, 4 on the shoulder, and 3 in the median.

Of the 1351 reported traffic control instances, "No Control" was the dominant type, accounting for 686 instances (50.8%). Signalized locations were associated with 561 instances (41.5%).

The most frequently cited contributing factors were "Following too Close / ACDA" with 213 instances (30.6% of reported factors), "Failure to Yield" with 161 instances (23.2%), and "Other Improper Action" with 73 instances (10.5%).

Commercial vehicles were involved in 24 instances, representing 3.4% of all crashes. This included 20 "Other Commercial Vehicle" instances and 4 "Semi-Tractor Trailer" instances.

Vulnerable road users were involved in 24 instances, with pedestrians involved in 13, motorcyclists in 9, and bicyclists in 2. Crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists combined accounted for 15 instances.

Impaired driving was a factor in 32 reported instances, accounting for 4.6% of all crashes. Alcohol impairment was cited in 26 instances, drug impairment in 4, and both alcohol and drugs in 2.

Among reported driver conditions, 29 instances were "Under the Influence of Medications / Drugs / Alcohol" (2.5% of non-unknown conditions). Other abnormal conditions included 6 instances of emotional distress, 5 of falling asleep/fatigue, 5 of physical impairment, and 4 of illness.

Driver distraction was reported in 42 instances, representing 4.2% of non-unknown driver distraction reports. The most common specific distractions were "Other distraction inside the vehicle" (16 instances) and "Other distraction outside the vehicle" (9 instances).

The majority of reported road alignments were "Straight Level" with 624 instances. Crashes occurring on curves (Curve Level or Curve Grade) accounted for 33 instances (4.9% of reported alignments), while those on grades (Straight Grade or Curve Grade) accounted for 26 instances (3.8%).

"Straight Ahead" was the most common pre-crash action with 807 instances (60.2% of reported actions). "Slowing or Stopped In Traffic" accounted for 164 instances (12.2%), and "Making Left Turn" for 101 instances (7.5%).

"Rear-end" collisions were the dominant manner of collision, accounting for 248 crashes (35.5%). "Angle" collisions were the next most frequent with 162 crashes (23.2%).

Passenger Cars were the most frequently involved vehicle type, accounting for 1043 instances. Commercial vehicles, including pickups, cargo vans, single unit trucks, semi-tractors, buses, and heavy equipment, collectively represented 74 instances (5.5% of non-unknown vehicles).

Drivers constituted the largest group of persons involved with 1269 instances. Occupants accounted for 377 instances, and pedestrians for 13 instances.

Of the 1659 persons involved, 3 (0.18%) sustained fatal injuries, and 175 (10.5%) sustained non-fatal injuries (serious, minor, or possible). The majority, 1406 persons, sustained no injuries.

Of the 1058 reported safety equipment instances (excluding 'Other/Unknown'), 902 involved the use of both shoulder and lap belts. There were 56 instances (5.3%) where no safety equipment was used.

The majority of crashes (551) involved two vehicles. Single-vehicle crashes accounted for 99 incidents (14.2% of all crashes), while 49 crashes involved three or more vehicles.