167 CRASHES IN
CONGRESS, OH
2021

Motorists accounted for all fatalities and injuries in 2021, with 2 motorists killed and 61 motorists injured. There were no reported fatalities or injuries among pedestrians or cyclists during this period.

Crashes in Congress, OH during 2021 peaked on Thursdays with 29 incidents, and the busiest hour for crashes was 5 PM, with 13 incidents. The majority of crashes, 101 (60.5%), occurred during daylight hours, while 57 (34.1%) occurred in dark conditions.

Of the 167 crashes, 118 (70.7%) resulted in no injuries, indicating a high proportion of property-damage-only incidents. Injury-involved crashes (A, B, C severity) accounted for 48 incidents, or 28.8% of the total. There was 1 fatal crash, which resulted in 2 fatalities.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 1 fatal crash events resulted in 2 persons killed.

The majority of crashes occurred under favorable conditions, with 101 (60.5%) happening in clear weather, 115 (68.9%) on dry road surfaces, and 101 (60.5%) during daylight. Conversely, 41 crashes (24.6%) occurred during rain or snow, 52 crashes (31.1%) on wet or snowy/icy roads, and 57 crashes (34.1%) occurred in dark conditions.

The age groups 16-20 (57 persons), 26-34 (51 persons), and 35-44 (41 persons) were most represented among those involved in crashes. Passenger cars were the most frequently involved vehicle type with 86 incidents, followed by Sport Utility Vehicles (46) and Pickups (40). Ford (36) and Chevrolet (35) were the most common vehicle makes involved in crashes.

The first harmful event in 83 crashes occurred on the roadway itself. A substantial portion of crashes, 84 (50.3%), occurred off the main travel lanes, including 50 on the roadside, 21 in the median, 7 on the shoulder, 5 outside the trafficway, and 1 on an off-ramp. This suggests a significant run-off-road component to crashes in the area.

The vast majority of crashes occurred at locations with no traffic control, accounting for 213 incidents. Only 13 crashes occurred at stop sign-controlled intersections, and 1 at a yield sign location. This indicates that 93.8% of crashes happened at uncontrolled locations.

The leading contributing factors to crashes were Unsafe Speed (40 incidents), Drove off Road (31 incidents), and Following too Close / ACDA (13 incidents). Failure to Yield contributed to 12 crashes, while Improper Lane Change was a factor in 9 incidents. These five factors collectively account for 105 of the reported contributing factors.

Animal-related crashes involved 23 vehicles, constituting 13.8% of all crashes. Of these, 19 involved deer, and 4 involved other animals. This highlights deer as a notable hazard in the area.

Among drivers, 8 were noted to be under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol, and 2 drivers fell asleep, fainted, or were fatigued. An additional 2 drivers had a physical impairment. These 12 incidents represent 5.4% of all drivers involved in crashes.

Driver distraction was reported in 11 incidents. This included 7 cases of other distraction inside the vehicle, 2 cases of other activity with an electronic device, and 2 cases of other distraction outside the vehicle. These distracted driving incidents represent 4.9% of all drivers involved.

A total of 20 crashes (12.0%) occurred on curves (11 on curve level, 9 on curve grade). Additionally, 46 crashes (27.5%) occurred on a grade, indicating that a notable portion of incidents happened on sloped roadways.

The most frequent pre-crash action reported was driving straight ahead, accounting for 171 incidents. Other common actions included negotiating a curve (13 incidents) and making a left turn (11 incidents). These three actions represent the primary movements immediately preceding a crash.

The most common manner of collision, accounting for 118 crashes (70.7%), was 'Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport,' which often includes single-vehicle incidents. Among multi-vehicle crashes, Angle collisions were most frequent with 16 incidents (9.6%), followed closely by Rear-end collisions with 15 incidents (9%).

Passenger cars were the most frequently involved vehicle type, accounting for 86 incidents. Sport Utility Vehicles (46) and Pickups (40) were also significantly represented. Commercial vehicles, including Semi-Tractors (30), Single Unit Trucks (9), and Cargo Vans (1), collectively comprised 40 vehicles involved.

Drivers constituted the largest group of persons involved in crashes, with 224 individuals. Occupants accounted for 77 individuals. There were no reported pedestrians or cyclists involved in crashes during this period.

Among all persons involved, 2 individuals sustained fatal injuries, and 61 individuals sustained some level of injury (4 serious, 46 minor, 11 possible). The majority, 229 individuals, were reported with no injuries. This indicates that 20.9% of persons involved experienced an injury, and 0.7% were fatalities.

Safety equipment use was recorded for 281 participants. The majority, 243 individuals, used both shoulder and lap belts. However, 30 individuals (10.7% of reported cases) were not using any safety equipment, highlighting a concerning lack of restraint use in a significant portion of incidents.

Single-vehicle crashes were the most common type, accounting for 106 (63.5%) of all incidents. Two-vehicle crashes totaled 60, and one crash involved three vehicles. This indicates that over half of the crashes in the period were single-vehicle events.