14,090 CRASHES IN
COLUMBUS, OH
2021

Motorists represent the highest impact group, with 72 fatalities and 7,792 injuries in 2021. Pedestrians accounted for 29 fatalities and 334 injuries. There were no reported fatalities or injuries for cyclists in this period.

Crashes in 2021 peaked on Fridays, with 2,316 incidents, and the peak hour for crashes was 3 PM, recording 1,036 incidents. The majority of crashes, 58.8%, occurred during daylight hours, while 35.6% occurred in dark conditions (lighted or unlighted roadways).

Of the 14,090 crashes, 58.6% (8,263 incidents) resulted in no reported injuries, indicating property damage only. Injury-involved crashes, encompassing fatal, serious, minor, and possible injuries, accounted for 41.4% of all incidents. There were 94 fatal crashes, which led to a total of 101 fatalities, highlighting that some crashes involved multiple deaths.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 94 fatal crash events resulted in 101 persons killed.

The majority of crashes occurred under clear weather conditions (66.8%), on dry road surfaces (78.6%), and during daylight hours (58.8%). However, adverse conditions also contributed to a notable number of incidents, with 1,571 crashes occurring in rain, 328 in snow, and 2,414 on wet road surfaces.

Drivers aged 26-34 were the most represented age group among persons involved in crashes, with 6,354 individuals. The most frequently involved vehicle makes were Chevrolet, with 3,441 vehicles, followed by Ford (3,289) and Honda (3,220).

The majority of crashes, 85.0%, occurred on the roadway. A significant portion, 12.0%, occurred off the travel lanes, including 572 incidents on the roadside, 572 outside the trafficway, 495 on the shoulder, and 54 in the median.

Among vehicles involved in crashes with known traffic control, 62.0% occurred at locations with no traffic control. Conversely, 30.8% of vehicles involved in crashes were at locations controlled by a signal.

The most frequent contributing factors among drivers were 'Following too Close / ACDA' (2,825 incidents), 'Other Improper Action' (2,318 incidents), and 'Failure to Yield' (2,146 incidents). These three factors collectively accounted for over 53% of all specific contributing factors reported.

Crashes involved 697 commercial vehicles, representing 4.9% of all crashes. Of these, 422 were semi-tractor trailers and 275 were other commercial vehicles.

Crashes involving vulnerable road users totaled 489 incidents, comprising 3.5% of all crashes. This category includes 365 pedestrians and 124 bicyclists involved in crashes.

Animal-strike crashes accounted for 27 incidents, representing 0.19% of all crashes. Of these, 19 incidents involved deer, while 8 involved other animals.

A total of 916 crashes involved impaired driving, representing 6.5% of all crashes. Alcohol was a factor in 642 of these incidents, drugs in 175, and both alcohol and drugs in 99 incidents.

Among drivers with reported conditions, 1,117 instances, or 4.7%, involved an abnormal condition. The most common abnormal condition was 'Under the Influence of Medications / Drugs / Alcohol' with 691 instances, followed by 'Physical Impairment' with 217 instances.

Among drivers with known distraction status, 669 incidents, or 3.0%, involved a form of distraction. The most common specific distractions were 'Other distraction inside the vehicle' (228 instances) and 'Other distraction outside the vehicle' (223 instances).

Approximately 7.2% of crashes occurred on curved roadways, while 8.7% occurred on graded roadways. The majority of crashes, 87.4%, occurred on straight sections of road, either level or graded.

The most common pre-crash actions by drivers were 'Straight Ahead' (14,454 instances), 'Slowing or Stopped In Traffic' (3,538 instances), and 'Making Left Turn' (2,525 instances). These three actions collectively represent 77.0% of all reported pre-crash actions.

Angle collisions were the most dominant crash pattern, accounting for 4,125 incidents or 29.3% of all crashes. Rear-end collisions were the third most frequent, making up 22.8% of crashes with 3,215 incidents.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 15,428 vehicles or 54.9% of the total. Commercial vehicles, including semi-tractors and other trucks/buses, comprised 4.8% of all vehicles involved.

Drivers constituted the largest group of persons involved in crashes, representing 72.1% of all individuals. Occupants accounted for 26.8%, while pedestrians made up 1.1% of all persons involved.

Out of 34,865 persons involved in crashes, 101 individuals sustained fatal injuries, representing 0.29% of all persons. A total of 8,126 persons, or 23.3%, sustained some form of injury (serious, minor, or possible).

Among persons with known safety equipment usage, 2,006 individuals, or 7.3%, were reported to have used no safety equipment. The majority, 24,150 individuals, used shoulder and lap belts.

The majority of crashes, 10,128 incidents, involved two vehicles. Single-vehicle crashes accounted for 2,275 incidents, representing 16.1% of all crashes. There were 95 crashes involving five or more vehicles.