2,103 CRASHES IN
OHIO, OH
2021

Motorists comprised the largest group of individuals killed or injured, with 8 fatalities and 507 injuries. Crashes also resulted in 2 pedestrian fatalities and 13 pedestrian injuries. There were no cyclist fatalities or injuries reported in the 2021 data.

Crash analysis reveals distinct temporal patterns, with Fridays being the most frequent day for crashes, totaling 385 incidents. The single busiest hour was the 5 p.m. evening commute slot, which saw 176 crashes. While a majority of crashes (1,239) occurred during daylight hours, a significant number (706) happened in dark conditions, both on lighted and unlighted roadways.

The vast majority of crashes, 82.2% or 1,728 incidents, resulted in no injuries. Injury-involved crashes accounted for 17.3% of the total, broken down into serious (30), minor (200), and possible injuries (135). Ten crashes were fatal, representing 0.5% of all incidents and resulting in a total of 10 fatalities.

A substantial majority of crashes in Hancock County occurred under ideal driving conditions. Specifically, 77.6% of crashes (1,632) happened on dry road surfaces, 64.5% (1,357) in clear weather, and 58.9% (1,239) during daylight hours. Crashes in adverse conditions were less frequent, with 197 incidents during rain and 348 on wet roads.

Among the 4,280 people involved in crashes, the 26-34 age group was the most represented with 660 individuals, followed by the 35-44 and 16-20 age groups. Of the 3,329 vehicles involved, passenger cars were the most common type (1,685 vehicles). The most frequently involved vehicle makes were Chevrolet (518), Ford (516), and Honda (277).

The initial harmful event in most crashes, 1,761 incidents, occurred on the primary roadway. However, a notable portion of crashes involved vehicles leaving the travel lanes. In total, 267 crashes, or 12.7% of all incidents, began on the roadside, shoulder, or in the median, indicating a run-off-road event.

The majority of vehicles involved in crashes were at locations with no traffic controls present, accounting for 2,314 units. Signalized intersections were the location for crashes involving 696 vehicles, while locations with stop signs accounted for crashes involving 295 vehicles. Overall, 78.3% of involved vehicles were at uncontrolled locations or those controlled by signs, compared to 20.9% at signalized intersections.

Analysis of driver actions shows that 'Following too Close / ACDA' was the most cited contributing factor, attributed to 340 vehicles. The second most common factor was 'Failure to Yield,' noted for 290 vehicles, followed by 'Drove off Road,' which was a factor for 241 vehicles.

In 2021, 181 commercial trucks were involved in crashes in Hancock County. Of these, the majority were semi-tractor-trailers, accounting for 145 vehicles, while 36 were classified as other types of commercial vehicles.

A total of 48 crashes involved motorcyclists, pedestrians, or bicyclists. These included incidents with 19 motorcyclists, 15 pedestrians, and 14 bicyclists. Combined, the 29 pedestrians and bicyclists represent a critical group of vulnerable road users involved in traffic incidents.

Crashes involving animals were a significant factor, totaling 473 incidents, or 22.5% of all crashes in the county. The overwhelming majority of these, 457 crashes, were collisions with deer. An additional 16 crashes involved other types of animals.

A total of 69 crashes, representing 3.3% of all incidents, were identified as involving an impaired driver. Alcohol was a factor in 44 of these crashes, drugs were a factor in 20, and a combination of alcohol and drugs was noted in 5 crashes.

Among all drivers involved in crashes, 88 were noted as having a physical or mental condition that may have contributed to the incident. These included 44 drivers under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol, 21 who fell asleep or were fatigued, and 10 who were reportedly ill.

Among drivers for whom distraction status was determined, at least 114 were identified as being distracted. The most common sources of distraction were external to the vehicle (52 drivers) or another distraction inside the vehicle (41 drivers). Electronic device use was specifically noted for 18 drivers, including 8 who were manually operating a device.

The majority of crashes (1,797) occurred on straight and level sections of roadway. However, road geometry played a role in a portion of incidents, with 9.0% of crashes (189) occurring on a grade and 8.4% (176) happening on a curve.

The geographic distribution of crashes was concentrated in a few key areas, with the City of Findlay accounting for 966 incidents, or 45.9% of the county's total. The townships of Allen (157 crashes) and Liberty (154 crashes) were the next most frequent locations. Together, these top three jurisdictions were the site of 60.7% of all crashes in the county.

The most common pre-crash action for vehicles involved was 'Straight Ahead,' accounting for 1,980 vehicles, or 59.5% of the total. The next most frequent actions were 'Slowing or Stopped In Traffic' (413 vehicles) and 'Making Left Turn' (243 vehicles).

Single-vehicle crashes were the most common type of incident, with 1,114 crashes (53%) categorized as 'Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport.' Among multi-vehicle crashes, the most frequent types were angle collisions, which accounted for 382 incidents (18.2%), and rear-end collisions, with 373 incidents (17.7%).

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 1,685 units or 50.6% of all vehicles. Sport Utility Vehicles (726) and Pick-up trucks (417) were the next most frequent. Commercial vehicles, including semi-tractors and single-unit trucks, were involved in 18.2% of crashes.

Of the 4,280 individuals involved in traffic crashes, the vast majority (3,181, or 74.3%) were drivers. Passengers accounted for 1,084 individuals (25.3%), and 15 people were identified as pedestrians.

Among the 4,280 people involved in crashes, 530 individuals sustained an injury or were killed, representing 12.4% of all participants. This total includes 10 fatalities, 33 serious injuries, 272 minor injuries, and 215 possible injuries. The remaining 3,633 people were not injured.

A lack of safety equipment was noted for 138 individuals involved in crashes, representing 3.2% of all vehicle occupants where restraint use was recorded. The vast majority of occupants (3,706) were reported as using a shoulder and lap belt. Child restraint systems were in use for 197 children.

Two-vehicle collisions were the most common scenario, accounting for 1,098 crashes or 52.2% of the total. Single-vehicle crashes were also very common, with 945 incidents (45.0%). Crashes involving three or more vehicles were less frequent, with 60 such incidents recorded.