1,232 CRASHES IN
OHIO, OH
2021

In 2021, motorists accounted for all 4 fatalities and the vast majority of injuries, with 349 motorists injured. No pedestrian or cyclist fatalities were recorded. However, 7 pedestrians were injured in crashes throughout the year.

Crash occurrences in Huron County peaked on Mondays, which saw 193 incidents in 2021. The single busiest hour for crashes was 3 p.m., with 96 events recorded. Overall, crashes were more frequent during daylight hours, which accounted for 661 incidents, compared to 459 crashes that occurred in dark conditions.

The vast majority of crashes in 2021, 79.3% or 977 incidents, resulted in no injuries. Crashes involving some level of injury accounted for 20.5% of the total, including 29 serious injury crashes. There were 3 fatal crashes recorded, which resulted in a total of 4 fatalities.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 3 fatal crash events resulted in 4 persons killed.

Most crashes in Huron County occurred in ideal driving conditions. Specifically, 63.1% of crashes happened in clear weather, 77.0% on dry road surfaces, and 53.6% during daylight hours. Crashes in adverse weather included 85 in rain and 54 in snow, while incidents on wet or snow-covered roads numbered 190 and 61, respectively.

Analysis of persons involved in crashes shows the 26-34 age group was the most represented, with 354 individuals, followed by the 16-20 age group with 319 individuals. Among the 1,815 vehicles involved, the most frequent makes were Chevrolet (395 vehicles), Ford (370 vehicles), and Dodge (122 vehicles).

The initial harmful event in most crashes, 963 out of 1,232, occurred on the roadway itself. A notable portion, 254 crashes or 20.6% of the total, were run-off-road incidents where the first harmful event happened on the roadside, shoulder, or in the median. This includes 164 crashes on the roadside and 64 on the shoulder.

Analysis of traffic controls at crash locations indicates that the majority of incidents occurred where no control was present, involving 1,372 vehicles. Crashes at signalized intersections involved 236 vehicles, and incidents at locations with stop signs involved 198 vehicles. The dominant environment for crashes was roadway segments without active traffic control devices.

The most common contributing factor attributed to drivers was 'Following too Close / ACDA,' cited in 176 instances. This was closely followed by 'Drove off Road' with 174 instances and 'Failure to Yield' with 156 instances. These three factors represent the leading driver actions contributing to crashes in the county.

Crashes involving commercial trucks accounted for 86 incidents, or 7.0% of all crashes in Huron County. Among these, 66 crashes involved a semi-tractor trailer, while the remaining 20 involved other types of commercial vehicles.

A total of 42 crashes involved vulnerable road users, including motorcyclists, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Motorcyclists were involved in 30 of these crashes. Combined, pedestrians and bicyclists were involved in 12 crashes, representing just under 1% of all incidents.

Collisions with animals were a significant factor in Huron County, accounting for 351 crashes, or 28.5% of the total for the year. The vast majority of these incidents, 338 crashes, involved deer. An additional 13 crashes were attributed to collisions with other animals.

Impairment was a factor in 76 crashes, constituting 6.2% of all incidents in the county. Among these, alcohol was suspected in 44 crashes, drugs in 21 crashes, and a combination of both in 11 crashes. These figures represent a minimum baseline, as impairment can be under-reported.

Among the 1,741 drivers involved in crashes, 100 were noted as having a condition other than 'Apparently Normal.' The most common of these was driving under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol, which was recorded for 65 drivers. An additional 22 drivers were reported as having fallen asleep, fainted, or being fatigued.

Driver distraction was identified as a factor for 83 drivers, representing 4.8% of all drivers in crashes. The most cited issues were 'Other distraction inside the vehicle' with 37 instances and 'Other distraction outside the vehicle' with 21 instances. Manually operating an electronic communication device like a phone was noted for 5 drivers.

While most crashes occurred on straight, level roads (952 incidents), a notable number happened on roads with more complex geometry. Crashes on curves accounted for 117 incidents, or 9.5% of the total. Roadways with a grade were the location for 209 crashes, representing 17.0% of all incidents.

The geographic distribution of crashes was concentrated in a few key areas, with the city of Norwalk accounting for 372 crashes, or 30.2% of the county's total. The next most frequent locations were Willard with 106 crashes (8.6%) and the township of Greenfield with 68 crashes (5.5%). These three areas combined represent nearly 45% of all crashes in the county.

The most common pre-crash action for vehicles was 'Straight Ahead,' which described the movement of 1,175 vehicles, or 64.7% of the total. The second most frequent action was 'Slowing or Stopped In Traffic,' with 180 vehicles (9.9%). Making a left turn was the action for 104 vehicles immediately prior to their crash.

The most frequent type of crash was a single-vehicle incident, categorized as 'Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport,' which accounted for 705 crashes or 57.2% of the total. Among multi-vehicle crashes, angle collisions were the most common, with 204 incidents (16.6%), followed by rear-end collisions with 172 incidents (14.0%).

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, with 718 units, representing 39.6% of all vehicles. Sport Utility Vehicles (482) and Pick-up trucks (343) were also frequently involved, with these three types comprising 85% of all vehicles. Commercial vehicles, including semi-tractors, single-unit trucks, and buses, accounted for 98 vehicles, or 5.4% of the total.

Of the 2,355 individuals involved in crashes, the vast majority were drivers, accounting for 1,741 people or 73.9% of the total. Passengers (occupants) made up another 605 individuals (25.7%). A small fraction, 9 individuals or 0.4%, were pedestrians.

Across all 2,355 people involved in crashes, 4 individuals sustained fatal injuries (0.17%). A total of 356 people, or 15.1%, suffered some level of injury, ranging from possible to serious. The majority of people involved, 1,987 individuals, were not injured.

Among vehicle occupants for whom safety equipment use was recorded, 191 individuals (8.1%) were reported as not using any restraints. The most common form of protection was a shoulder and lap belt, used by 1,853 people. An additional 111 individuals were secured using various child restraint systems.

Single-vehicle crashes were the most common incident type, accounting for 675 crashes, or 54.8% of the total. Crashes involving two vehicles were also frequent, with 531 incidents (43.1%). A smaller number of crashes, 26 in total, involved three vehicles.