3,700 CRASHES IN
OHIO, OH
2021

In 2021, motorists accounted for the vast majority of traffic casualties, with 24 killed and 1,334 injured. Crashes also involved vulnerable road users, resulting in one pedestrian fatality and 28 pedestrian injuries. No cyclist fatalities or injuries were recorded in the data for this period.

Crash patterns in 2021 show a concentration during the work week, peaking on Fridays with 613 incidents. The most frequent time for crashes was the 5 p.m. hour, which saw 319 events. Overall, a majority of crashes (2,362) occurred during daylight hours.

Of the 3,700 crashes reported, 73.5% (2,719 incidents) resulted in no injuries. The remaining 26.5% involved possible, minor, serious, or fatal injuries. There were 24 distinct fatal crashes, which resulted in a total of 25 fatalities.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 24 fatal crash events resulted in 25 persons killed.

A majority of crashes in 2021 occurred under ideal environmental conditions, with 75.4% (2,791) on dry roads and 63.8% (2,362) in daylight. Crashes in clear weather accounted for 2,164 incidents. Adverse conditions were also present, with 440 crashes occurring during rain and 691 on wet road surfaces.

Analysis of the 8,219 individuals involved in crashes shows the most represented age groups were 26-34 years (1,235 people), 35-44 years (1,200 people), and 16-20 years (1,055 people). Among the 6,427 vehicles involved, the most frequent makes were Ford (998 vehicles), Chevrolet (864 vehicles), and Honda (842 vehicles).

The initial harmful event in most crashes (2,931) occurred on the roadway itself. However, a notable number of incidents were run-off-road events, with 700 crashes, or 18.9% of the total, having their first harmful event on the roadside, shoulder, median, or outside the trafficway.

Analysis of traffic controls for vehicles involved in crashes shows that the majority, 4,433 vehicles, were at locations with no traffic control device present. A significant number of vehicles (1,379) were involved in crashes at signalized intersections, while 532 were at locations with a stop sign.

The most frequently cited contributing factor for drivers was 'Following too Close / ACDA,' attributed to 863 units. This was followed by 'Failure to Yield' with 558 units and 'Drove off Road' with 438 units. Other notable factors included 'Unsafe Speed' (270 units) and 'Improper Lane Change' (142 units).

Crashes in 2021 involved 326 commercial trucks. Of these, 208 were identified as semi-tractor trailers and 118 were classified as other types of commercial vehicles.

There were 111 crashes involving motorcyclists or vulnerable road users. This total includes 63 motorcycle crashes, 32 pedestrian-involved crashes, and 16 bicyclist-involved crashes. Combined, crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists accounted for 48 incidents, representing 1.3% of all crashes.

A total of 275 crashes were attributed to collisions with animals, accounting for 7.4% of all incidents. The vast majority of these, 254 crashes, specifically involved deer. An additional 21 crashes involved other types of animals.

Impairment was a factor in 190 crashes, representing 5.1% of the total for the year. Among these, alcohol was the sole impairing substance in 127 incidents, drugs were involved in 33, and a combination of alcohol and drugs was noted in 30 crashes.

While most drivers (5,363) were listed as 'Apparently Normal,' several adverse conditions were noted. A total of 149 drivers were identified as being under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol. Additionally, 44 drivers were reported to have fallen asleep, fainted, or been fatigued, and 22 had a physical impairment.

Among the 6,078 drivers involved in crashes, at least 321 were documented as being distracted. The most common sources of distraction were 'Other distraction inside the vehicle' (131 drivers) and 'Other distraction outside the vehicle' (110 drivers). Electronic device use was also a factor, with 36 drivers manually operating a device and 24 engaged in other electronic device activity.

The majority of crashes (2,846) occurred on straight, level sections of roadway. However, road geometry played a role in a subset of incidents, with 362 crashes (9.8%) taking place on curves. Road grade was a factor in 643 crashes, or 17.4% of the total, occurring on either straight or curved grades.

Crash distribution across the county was concentrated in several key municipalities. The city of Newark recorded the highest number of incidents with 907 crashes, followed by Heath (380), Etna (307), and Pataskala (306). Together, these top four locations accounted for 1,900 incidents, representing over half of all crashes in the county.

The most common pre-crash action for vehicles was 'Straight Ahead,' which was reported for 3,674 units, or 57.2% of all vehicles involved. The next most frequent actions were 'Slowing or Stopped In Traffic' (883 vehicles) and 'Making Left Turn' (550 vehicles).

Single-vehicle crashes were the most common incident type, with 1,341 events classified as 'Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport,' making up 36.2% of all crashes. Among multi-vehicle collisions, rear-end crashes were the most frequent, accounting for 900 incidents (24.3%), followed by angle collisions with 777 incidents (21.0%).

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 3,125 of the 6,427 total vehicles. Sport Utility Vehicles (1,396) and Pick-up trucks (877) were the next most frequent. A variety of commercial vehicles, including 224 semi-tractors and 88 single-unit trucks, were also involved in incidents.

Of the 8,219 individuals involved in crashes, the majority were drivers (6,078 people, or 73.9%). Vehicle occupants or passengers accounted for another 2,109 individuals (25.7%). Pedestrians were involved in 32 instances, making up 0.4% of the total.

A total of 8,219 people were involved in crashes, with the majority (6,616 people) sustaining no injuries. However, 1,362 individuals, or 16.6% of all persons involved, suffered injuries ranging from possible to serious. Fatalities were recorded for 25 individuals, representing 0.3% of all people involved in crashes.

The data shows that 6,545 individuals involved in crashes were using both a shoulder and lap belt. Conversely, 506 people, representing 6.2% of all participants, were recorded as using no safety equipment. An additional 279 individuals were secured in various child restraint systems.

The most common crash scenario involved two vehicles, which accounted for 2,319 incidents (62.7% of the total). Single-vehicle crashes were also frequent, with 1,192 incidents making up 32.2% of all crashes. Crashes involving three or more vehicles were less common, with 189 such events recorded.