1,056 CRASHES IN
OHIO, OH
2021

In 2021, all 9 traffic fatalities in Darke County were motorists, and an additional 315 motorists were injured. There were no cyclist fatalities or injuries recorded for the year. While no pedestrians were killed, 8 pedestrians sustained injuries in crashes.

Crashes in Darke County occurred most frequently on Fridays, with 182 incidents recorded. The single busiest hour for crashes was 7 p.m., which saw 85 crashes. A notable peak occurred during the late afternoon and early evening hours from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., which collectively accounted for 380 crashes.

The vast majority of crashes in Darke County, 77.5% (818 incidents), resulted in no injuries and were property-damage-only. Injury-related crashes accounted for the remaining 22.5% of incidents. There were 8 fatal crashes recorded, which resulted in a total of 9 fatalities.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 8 fatal crash events resulted in 9 persons killed.

The majority of crashes occurred in ideal driving conditions, with 66.2% happening in clear weather and 76.6% on a dry road surface. Over half of the crashes, 574 incidents, occurred during daylight hours. Crashes in adverse weather included 84 in rain and 38 in snow, while 331 crashes occurred on unlighted roads in the dark.

Analysis of persons involved in crashes shows the 26-34 age group was most represented with 277 individuals, followed by the 65+ age group with 266 individuals. The most common vehicle makes involved in crashes were Chevrolet (345 vehicles), Ford (281 vehicles), and Dodge (101 vehicles).

The first harmful event in the majority of crashes, 828 incidents, occurred on the roadway itself. However, a notable 213 crashes, or 20.2% of the total, were run-off-road events where the first harmful event happened on the roadside, shoulder, median, or outside the trafficway.

Analysis of traffic controls present at crash locations shows that the majority of vehicles involved, 1,252 out of 1,612, were in areas with no traffic control device. In contrast, 211 vehicles were involved in crashes at intersections with stop signs and 118 at locations with traffic signals.

The most common contributing factor cited for drivers was "Drove off Road," which was noted for 221 vehicles. This was followed by "Failure to Yield" for 179 vehicles and "Following too Close / ACDA" for 138 vehicles. These three factors were associated with over a third of the vehicles for which a circumstance was determined.

A total of 76 commercial trucks were involved in crashes in 2021. Of these, 52 were identified as semi-tractor trailers and 24 were classified as other types of commercial vehicles.

Crashes in 2021 involved 32 vulnerable road users and motorcyclists. This included 21 motorcyclists, 8 pedestrians, and 3 bicyclists. These crashes are notable due to the higher risk of severe injury or fatality for the unprotected user.

Collisions with animals were a significant factor in Darke County crashes, accounting for 249 incidents, or 23.6% of the yearly total. The vast majority of these, 229 crashes, specifically involved deer. An additional 20 crashes were attributed to collisions with other types of animals.

Impairment was a factor in 45 crashes, representing 4.3% of all incidents. Of these, alcohol was suspected in 29 crashes, drugs in 11 crashes, and a combination of both in 5 crashes. These figures represent a minimum, as impairment can be difficult to determine at the scene.

While most drivers were recorded as "Apparently Normal," several adverse driver conditions were noted in a total of 54 cases. A total of 36 drivers were suspected to be under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol. An additional 10 drivers were reported as having fallen asleep, fainted, or being fatigued.

Among the 1,497 drivers involved in crashes, a specific distraction was identified for 72 of them. The most common issues were general distractions from outside the vehicle (27 drivers) and inside the vehicle (24 drivers). Electronic device use was cited as a distraction for a total of 12 drivers.

The vast majority of crashes, 960 out of 1,056, occurred on straight and level road segments. However, roadway geometry played a role in some incidents, with 62 crashes (5.9%) occurring on curves and 51 crashes (4.8%) taking place on grades.

The distribution of crashes across Darke County shows a high concentration in Greenville, which accounted for 459 crashes, or 43.5% of the county's total. Other townships with notable crash volumes include Adams with 66 crashes, Van Buren with 60, and Neave with 45.

The most common pre-crash action for vehicles involved was driving straight ahead, which was the case for 1,029 of the 1,612 vehicles (63.8%). Other frequent actions preceding a collision included slowing or stopping in traffic (123 vehicles) and making a left turn (120 vehicles).

Over half of all crashes in Darke County, 572 incidents or 54.2%, were not collisions between two moving vehicles, a category that primarily consists of single-vehicle crashes. Among multi-vehicle crashes, the most common types were angle collisions (194 crashes) and rear-end collisions (133 crashes).

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 628 of the 1,612 vehicles. Sport utility vehicles (396 vehicles) and pickup trucks (294 vehicles) were also frequently involved. Commercial vehicles, including semi-tractors, single-unit trucks, and buses, comprised 5.6% of the vehicles in crashes.

Of the 1,850 individuals involved in traffic crashes, the majority were drivers, accounting for 1,497 people or 80.9% of the total. Passengers (occupants) made up another 345 individuals (18.6%). A small fraction, 8 individuals, were pedestrians.

Across all 1,850 people involved in crashes, 9 individuals sustained fatal injuries and 323 sustained some level of injury. This means that 17.9% of all persons involved were either killed or injured. The remaining 1,457 individuals were not injured.

Safety equipment usage was recorded for most motor vehicle occupants, with 1,499 individuals documented as using a shoulder and lap belt. However, 131 occupants used no safety equipment at all. This represents a notable portion of individuals who were unprotected in a crash.

The crashes were nearly evenly split between single-vehicle and two-vehicle incidents. Single-vehicle crashes accounted for 530 incidents, or 50.2% of the total, while two-vehicle crashes accounted for 501 incidents (47.4%). Multi-vehicle pile-ups involving three or more vehicles were less common, comprising just 25 crashes in total.