2,825 CRASHES IN
OHIO, OH
2021

Motorists comprised the largest group of individuals killed or injured, with 18 fatalities and 1,051 injuries. Crashes also resulted in 3 pedestrian fatalities and 21 pedestrian injuries. There were no cyclist fatalities or injuries recorded in the 2021 data.

Crash patterns show a peak on Fridays, with 503 incidents, and a daily peak during the 3 p.m. hour, which saw 276 crashes. The majority of collisions, 1,939 in total, occurred during daylight hours. Crashes in darkness, both on lighted and unlighted roads, accounted for a combined 703 incidents.

The majority of crashes, 2,045 or 72.4%, resulted in no injuries. Injury-related crashes, including those with serious, minor, or possible injuries, accounted for 763 incidents (27.0%). There were 17 fatal crashes, representing 0.6% of the total, which resulted in 21 individual fatalities.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 17 fatal crash events resulted in 21 persons killed.

A significant majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions, with 78.9% (2,229 crashes) on dry road surfaces and 68.6% (1,939 crashes) during daylight. Clear weather was reported for 1,738 incidents. Adverse conditions were less frequent, with 470 crashes on wet roads and 256 occurring during rain.

Among the 6,692 people involved in crashes, the most represented age groups were 26-34 years old (977 people), 16-20 years old (936 people), and 35-44 years old (879 people). The vehicle makes most frequently involved in collisions were Ford (768 vehicles), Chevrolet (731 vehicles), and Honda (671 vehicles).

The first harmful event in most crashes, 2,356 incidents, occurred on the primary roadway. However, a notable number of crashes were run-off-road events, with 444 incidents originating off the main travel lanes. This includes 287 crashes on the roadside, 84 on the shoulder, and 60 outside the trafficway.

Analysis of traffic controls at crash locations shows that a majority of vehicles involved, 3,120 units, were in areas with no traffic control device. Crashes at signalized intersections involved 1,600 vehicles, while 420 vehicles were involved in crashes at locations with a stop sign.

The most frequently cited contributing factor for drivers was 'Following too Close / ACDA', noted for 685 vehicles. This was followed by 'Failure to Yield', which was a factor for 488 vehicles, and 'Drove off Road', cited for 347 vehicles.

The data indicates that 127 commercial trucks were involved in crashes in 2021. Of these, 67 were identified as semi-tractor trailers and 60 were classified as other types of commercial vehicles.

Crashes involved 92 individuals identified as motorcyclists, pedestrians, or bicyclists. Among these, there were 40 crashes involving vulnerable road users, specifically 24 involving pedestrians and 16 involving bicyclists. Motorcyclists were involved in 52 crashes.

There were 123 crashes involving animals, accounting for 4.4% of all reported incidents. Deer were the most common animal involved, accounting for 115 of these crashes, or 93.5% of all animal-related collisions.

Impairment was a factor in 159 crashes, representing 5.6% of the total. Alcohol was the sole factor in 106 of these incidents, while drugs were the sole factor in 28, and a combination of alcohol and drugs was noted in 25 cases.

Among all drivers, 218 were recorded as having a condition other than 'Apparently Normal'. The most cited condition was 'Under the Influence of Medications / Drugs / Alcohol', noted for 128 drivers. Other reported conditions included 'Fell Asleep; Fainted; Fatigued' and 'Physical Impairment', each recorded for 29 drivers.

Among the 4,894 drivers involved in crashes, 216 were noted as being distracted. The most common distractions were 'Other distraction inside the vehicle' (91 drivers) and 'Other distraction outside the vehicle' (55 drivers). Manually operating an electronic communication device was cited as a distraction for 30 drivers.

Most crashes (2,260) occurred on straight and level road segments. However, roadway geometry played a role in a portion of incidents, with 264 crashes occurring on curves and 416 crashes taking place on grades (either straight or curved).

The geographic distribution of crashes was concentrated in a few key areas. The city of Lancaster accounted for the highest volume with 1,191 crashes, followed by Pickerington with 380 and the township of Violet with 249. Together, these three locations represented 64.4% of all crashes in the county.

The most common pre-crash action for the 5,199 vehicles involved was 'Straight Ahead', which was recorded for 2,885 vehicles. The next most frequent actions were 'Slowing or Stopped In Traffic' (660 vehicles) and 'Making Left Turn' (496 vehicles).

The most frequent crash type was a single-vehicle event, categorized as 'Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport', accounting for 27.5% (778 crashes) of all incidents. This was followed closely by rear-end collisions (731 crashes, 25.9%) and angle collisions (710 crashes, 25.1%).

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, with 2,482 units, making up 47.7% of all vehicles. Sport Utility Vehicles were the second most common, with 1,327 units (25.5%). Commercial vehicles, including semi-tractors, single-unit trucks, and buses, accounted for 217 vehicle involvements.

Of the 6,692 individuals involved in crashes, the majority were drivers (4,894 people, or 73.1%). Passengers accounted for 1,772 individuals (26.5%), while pedestrians made up a smaller portion with 26 individuals (0.4%).

Across all 6,692 people involved, 16.0% (1,072 individuals) sustained some level of injury, ranging from possible to serious. A total of 21 individuals, or 0.3% of all persons involved, sustained fatal injuries. The vast majority, 81.8% or 5,476 people, were not injured.

Among all 6,692 crash participants, 5,349 were recorded as using a shoulder and lap belt. However, 474 individuals, or 7.1% of the total, were recorded as using no safety equipment at all. An additional 138 individuals were secured in a forward-facing child restraint system.

Two-vehicle collisions were the most common scenario, accounting for 2,018 incidents or 71.4% of all crashes. Single-vehicle crashes were also frequent, with 640 incidents representing 22.7% of the total. Multi-vehicle crashes were less common, with the largest pile-up involving seven vehicles.