22,855 CRASHES IN
OHIO, OH
2021

In 2021, motorists accounted for the largest number of traffic casualties, with 95 killed and 11,119 injured. Pedestrians represented a significant share of fatalities, with 33 individuals killed and 408 injured in crashes. According to the dataset, there were no cyclists killed or injured during this period.

Crash patterns in 2021 show a clear concentration during commuting hours and on specific days. The most frequent day for crashes was Friday, with 3,828 incidents recorded. The single most common hour for a crash was 3 p.m., which saw 1,818 incidents and initiated an evening peak that extended through 6 p.m. A majority of crashes, 14,146 incidents or 61.9%, occurred during daylight hours.

The majority of crashes in 2021 did not result in physical harm, with 63.9% (14,608 crashes) classified as property-damage-only. Injury-involved crashes, ranging from possible to serious, accounted for 35.6% of all incidents. A total of 120 crashes were fatal, representing 0.5% of the total, and these events resulted in the deaths of 128 individuals.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 120 fatal crash events resulted in 128 persons killed.

Most crashes in 2021 occurred under ideal environmental conditions. A significant majority of incidents took place in daylight (14,146 crashes), on dry roads (17,956 crashes), and in clear weather (14,887 crashes). Crashes in adverse weather included 2,511 in rain and 560 during snowfall, while 3,930 crashes occurred on wet road surfaces.

Analysis of individuals involved in crashes shows the 26-34 age group was the most represented, with 9,952 people, followed by the 35-44 age group with 7,852 individuals. Regarding vehicle makes, the three most frequently involved in crashes were Honda (5,552 vehicles), Chevrolet (5,274 vehicles), and Ford (5,232 vehicles).

The first harmful event in the vast majority of crashes (19,411 incidents) occurred on the primary roadway. However, a notable number of crashes originated off the main travel lanes. These run-off-road incidents included 979 on the roadside, 847 on the shoulder, and 178 in the median, collectively accounting for 12.4% of all crashes where the location was specified.

Analysis of traffic controls at crash locations shows that the majority of involved vehicles, 27,294 or 60.9%, were in areas with no traffic control device present. Crashes at signalized intersections involved 13,541 vehicles, representing 30.2% of the total. An additional 2,834 vehicles were involved in crashes at locations controlled by a stop sign.

The most common contributing factor cited for drivers was 'Following too Close / ACDA,' which was noted in 5,084 instances. This was followed by 'Failure to Yield' with 3,633 instances and 'Improper Lane Change' with 1,668 instances. Other significant factors included 'Drove off Road' (1,681) and 'Ran Red Light' (1,071).

A total of 1,550 crashes, or 6.8% of all incidents in 2021, involved a commercial truck. Among these, 863 crashes involved a semi-tractor trailer, while the remaining 687 involved other types of commercial vehicles.

Crashes involving vulnerable road users and motorcyclists were categorized into three groups. In 2021, there were 448 crashes involving pedestrians, 342 involving motorcyclists, and 182 involving bicyclists. Combined, crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists accounted for 630 incidents, or 2.8% of all crashes.

In 2021, there were 141 crashes reported as involving an animal, making up 0.6% of total incidents. The vast majority of these, 125 crashes, were strikes involving deer. An additional 16 crashes involved other types of animals.

Impairment was a factor in 1,465 crashes, representing 6.4% of all incidents. Among these, alcohol was the most common substance, involved in 1,020 crashes. Drugs were a factor in 263 crashes, and a combination of alcohol and drugs was present in 182 crashes.

Beyond impairment from substances, other driver conditions were noted in the data. Among the 40,685 drivers involved in crashes, 1,110 were reported as being under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol. Other noted conditions included physical impairment (300 drivers), emotional distress (157 drivers), and fatigue or falling asleep (152 drivers).

While most drivers were reported as not distracted, specific distractions were identified for 1,243 drivers. The most common cited distractions were 'other distraction inside the vehicle' (437 drivers) and 'other distraction outside the vehicle' (393 drivers). Electronic device use was specified for 329 drivers, including 146 who were manually operating a device like texting or dialing.

The vast majority of crashes (19,218) occurred on straight, level road segments. However, roadway geometry played a role in a subset of incidents. Crashes on a grade (either straight or curved) accounted for 2,347 incidents, while crashes on a curve (either level or graded) accounted for 2,015 incidents.

The geographic distribution of crashes is highly concentrated, with the City of Columbus accounting for 13,911 incidents, or 60.9% of the county's total. Following Columbus, the municipalities with the highest crash volumes were Grove City with 805 crashes (3.5%), Reynoldsburg with 653 crashes (2.9%), and Dublin with 601 crashes (2.6%).

Analysis of vehicle movements immediately prior to a crash shows that the most common action was 'Straight Ahead,' accounting for 22,602 vehicles (50.5%). The second most frequent pre-crash action was 'Slowing or Stopped In Traffic,' which was the status of 6,371 vehicles (14.2%). Making a left turn was the third most common action, involving 4,140 vehicles.

The most frequent type of crash was an angle collision, which occurred in 6,406 incidents and accounted for 28.0% of the total. Single-vehicle crashes, categorized as 'Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport,' were the second most common type with 5,833 incidents (25.5%). Rear-end collisions were also highly prevalent, accounting for 5,602 crashes (24.5%).

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 24,437 units (54.5% of all vehicles). Sport Utility Vehicles were the second most frequent, with 10,048 units involved (22.4%). Commercial vehicles, including semi-tractors, cargo vans, and buses, were involved in 2,308 instances, representing 5.1% of all vehicles in crashes.

Of the 56,297 individuals involved in traffic crashes, the majority were drivers, accounting for 40,685 people (72.3%). Vehicle occupants (passengers) were the second largest group, with 15,148 individuals (26.9%). Pedestrians were involved in a smaller but significant number of incidents, with 464 individuals recorded.

Examining the outcomes for all 56,297 people involved, 41,730 individuals (74.1%) sustained no injuries. A total of 11,527 people were injured, representing 20.5% of all persons involved; this includes 783 serious injuries, 6,203 minor injuries, and 4,541 possible injuries. Fatal injuries were recorded for 128 individuals, which is 0.23% of all people involved in crashes.

The most commonly used safety equipment was a shoulder and lap belt, reported for 41,424 individuals. Conversely, 3,046 people, or 5.4% of all crash participants for whom this was recorded, were reported as using no safety equipment at all. An additional 1,833 individuals were in some form of child restraint, including forward-facing, rear-facing, and booster seats.

The vast majority of crashes, 16,559 incidents or 72.5%, involved a collision between two vehicles. Single-vehicle crashes accounted for 3,935 incidents (17.2%). Crashes involving three or more vehicles numbered 2,361, with the largest incident in this dataset involving 13 vehicles.