3,263 CRASHES IN
OHIO, OH
2021

In 2021, motorists accounted for the vast majority of traffic-related deaths and injuries. Nine motorists were killed and 1,126 were injured in crashes. During the same period, one pedestrian was killed and 23 were injured. There were no cyclist fatalities recorded, and data for cyclist injuries was not available.

Crash frequencies in Greene County showed distinct temporal patterns in 2021. The most common day for crashes was Friday, with 574 incidents, while the hour with the highest crash volume was 4 p.m., which saw 261 crashes. Analysis of lighting conditions reveals that 2,040 crashes, or 62.5% of the total, occurred during daylight hours.

Of the 3,263 total crashes, the majority (75.5% or 2,462 incidents) resulted in no injuries. Injury-related crashes accounted for 24.2% of the total, comprising 84 serious injury, 442 minor injury, and 265 possible injury crashes. Ten crashes were fatal, representing 0.3% of all incidents; these 10 crashes resulted in a total of 10 fatalities.

A substantial majority of crashes in 2021 occurred under ideal environmental conditions. Specifically, 75.2% of crashes (2,454) happened on dry road surfaces. Similarly, 62.5% of incidents (2,040) took place in daylight, and 58.5% (1,908) occurred in clear weather.

Analysis of the 7,238 people involved in crashes shows the 26-34 age group was the most represented, with 1,077 individuals. Among the 5,626 vehicles involved, passenger cars were the most common type (3,072). The most frequent vehicle makes recorded in crashes were Chevrolet (913), Ford (688), and Honda (566).

The initial point of impact for most crashes was on the primary roadway, accounting for 2,610 incidents. A notable portion of crashes were run-off-road events, with 354 occurring on the roadside, 157 on the shoulder, and 32 in the median. Combined, these off-roadway locations represent the first harmful event in 16.6% of all crashes.

Data on traffic controls present at crash sites, recorded per vehicle, indicates that 3,417 of the 5,626 vehicles involved (60.7%) were in crashes where no traffic control device was present. Signalized intersections were the location for crashes involving 1,696 vehicles (30.1%), while stop signs were present for incidents involving 407 vehicles.

Among driver-related contributing factors, 'Following too Close / ACDA' was the most cited action, noted in 747 instances. 'Failure to Yield' was the second most common factor with 422 instances, followed by 'Drove off Road' which was cited 383 times. These three factors represent the most frequently identified improper driver actions leading to crashes.

Crashes involving commercial trucks accounted for 184 incidents, or 5.6% of all crashes in 2021. Of these, 101 crashes involved a semi-tractor trailer, while the remaining 83 involved other types of commercial vehicles.

In 2021, there were 104 crashes involving vulnerable road users or motorcyclists. Motorcyclists were involved in 64 of these incidents. Crashes involving pedestrians (25) and bicyclists (15) totaled 40 incidents, representing 1.2% of all crashes.

Crashes involving animals totaled 314 incidents, making up 9.6% of all crashes in the county. The vast majority of these, 296 crashes, were strikes involving deer. An additional 18 crashes involved other, unspecified types of animals.

Impairment was a factor in 196 crashes, representing 6% of the total. Among these incidents, alcohol was the sole factor in 124 cases, drugs were the sole factor in 39 cases, and a combination of alcohol and drugs was noted in 33 cases.

Excluding drivers noted as 'Apparently Normal', a specific condition was reported for 254 of the 5,300 drivers involved in crashes. The most common condition was 'Under the Influence of Medications / Drugs / Alcohol', reported for 153 drivers. Other noted conditions included 'Fell Asleep; Fainted; Fatigued' (45 drivers) and 'Emotional' (26 drivers).

Among the 5,300 drivers involved in crashes, a specific distraction was identified for 234 of them. The most common reported distractions were 'Other distraction inside the vehicle' with 85 instances, followed by 'Other distraction outside the vehicle' with 58 instances. Manually operating an electronic device was cited for 24 drivers.

The roadway geometry was straight and level for 2,242 crashes, representing the most common alignment. However, a significant number of crashes occurred on non-level or curved roads. Crashes on a grade (straight or curved) accounted for 796 incidents (24.4%), while crashes on a curve (level or grade) accounted for 382 incidents (11.7%).

The geographic distribution of crashes was concentrated in a few key areas. The city of Beavercreek recorded the highest number of incidents with 1,165, accounting for 35.7% of the county's total. Xenia had the second-highest volume with 589 crashes (18.1%), followed by Fairborn with 504 crashes (15.4%).

Analysis of the 5,626 vehicles involved in crashes shows that the most common pre-crash action was driving 'Straight Ahead,' reported for 3,004 vehicles (53.4%). The next most frequent action was 'Slowing or Stopped In Traffic,' which accounted for 886 vehicles (15.7%), followed by 'Making Left Turn' for 472 vehicles (8.4%).

The most frequent type of crash was 'Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport,' which includes single-vehicle incidents, accounting for 1,376 crashes or 42.2% of the total. Among multi-vehicle crashes, rear-end collisions were the most common, with 745 incidents representing 22.8% of all crashes.

Of the 5,626 vehicles involved in crashes, passenger cars were the predominant type, accounting for 3,072 vehicles (54.6%). Sport Utility Vehicles were the next most common, with 1,081 involved (19.2%), followed by 666 pickup trucks (11.8%).

A total of 7,238 individuals were involved in crashes. The majority of these were drivers, who accounted for 5,300 persons (73.2%). Vehicle occupants or passengers made up the next largest group with 1,913 individuals (26.4%), while pedestrians accounted for 25 individuals (0.3%).

Among the 7,238 people involved in crashes, 10 sustained fatal injuries (0.14%) and 1,149 sustained some level of non-fatal injury (15.9%). The largest group, 5,837 people (80.6%), were not injured. Serious injuries were reported for 97 individuals.

Among 7,211 individuals for whom safety equipment use was recorded, 5,875 (81.5%) were noted as using a shoulder and lap belt. Conversely, 369 people, or 5.1% of this group, were recorded as using no safety equipment at the time of the crash.

The majority of crashes involved two vehicles, with 2,014 such incidents making up 61.7% of the total. Single-vehicle crashes were also common, with 1,092 incidents representing 33.5% of all crashes. Crashes involving three or more vehicles were less frequent, with 128 three-vehicle crashes and 23 four-vehicle crashes recorded.