5,604 CRASHES IN
OHIO, OH
2021

In 2021, motorists comprised the largest group of casualties, with 18 fatalities and 2,104 injuries. Vulnerable road users also suffered significant harm; 3 pedestrians were killed and 23 were injured in crashes. The data reported no cyclist fatalities or injuries during this period.

Crash patterns in Mahoning County show a clear weekly and daily rhythm. Fridays were the most frequent day for crashes, with 867 incidents recorded. The single busiest hour was between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., which saw 495 crashes. Overall, crashes were more prevalent during daylight hours, which accounted for 3,670 of the total incidents.

The majority of crashes in Mahoning County, 74.2% (4,158 incidents), resulted in no injuries. Injury-sustaining crashes, including serious, minor, and possible injuries, accounted for 25.4% of the total. There were 21 fatal crashes, representing 0.4% of all incidents, which resulted in a total of 21 fatalities.

The vast majority of crashes occurred in seemingly ideal conditions. Crashes in clear weather accounted for 3,189 incidents, while 4,363 crashes happened on dry road surfaces. Furthermore, 3,670 crashes, representing 65.5% of the total, took place during daylight hours. Adverse weather conditions like rain and snow were noted in 464 and 212 crashes, respectively.

Analysis of persons involved in crashes shows the 26-34 age group was the most represented, with 2,021 individuals. Regarding vehicle makes, Chevrolet was the most frequent, with 2,147 vehicles involved in crashes. Ford followed with 1,350 vehicles, and Dodge and Toyota were also prominent with 548 and 538 vehicles respectively.

The majority of crashes, 4,612 incidents, had their first harmful event occur on the roadway itself. However, a notable number of crashes involved vehicles leaving the travel lanes. A combined 795 crashes originated on the roadside, shoulder, median, or outside the trafficway, indicating a significant run-off-road crash pattern.

Analysis of traffic controls at crash locations indicates that the largest number of vehicles, 6,562, were involved in crashes where no traffic control device was present. Crashes at locations with traffic signals involved 2,333 vehicles. An additional 893 vehicles were involved in crashes at intersections controlled by a stop sign.

Among contributing factors cited for drivers, 'Following too Close / ACDA' was the most common, attributed to 1,287 vehicles. 'Failure to Yield' was the second-most frequent factor, noted for 996 vehicles. Other significant factors included driving off the road (600 vehicles) and improper lane changes (276 vehicles).

Crashes involving commercial trucks were a notable subset of incidents in Mahoning County. A total of 426 crashes involved a commercial vehicle, accounting for approximately 7.6% of all crashes. Of these, 285 involved a semi-tractor trailer, while 141 involved other types of commercial vehicles.

The data identifies several types of vulnerable road users involved in crashes. There were 79 crashes involving motorcyclists. Additionally, there were 36 crashes involving pedestrians (26) and bicyclists (10), highlighting the risks faced by these unprotected users on the road.

Collisions with animals accounted for 333 crashes, representing nearly 6% of the total incidents in Mahoning County. The vast majority of these, 309 crashes, specifically involved deer. An additional 24 crashes were attributed to collisions with other, unspecified animals.

Impairment was a documented factor for 205 drivers involved in crashes, which corresponds to 3.7% of all crashes. Among these, alcohol was the sole impairing substance in 153 instances. An additional 52 cases involved drugs, either alone (26) or in combination with alcohol (26).

Beyond impairment from alcohol or drugs, other driver conditions were noted in the crash data. A total of 175 drivers were recorded as being under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol. Additionally, 54 drivers were noted as having fallen asleep or being fatigued, while 38 were documented as being in an emotional state.

Driver distraction was identified as a factor for a portion of drivers. The most cited issues were general distractions inside the vehicle (169 drivers) and outside the vehicle (118 drivers). Specific electronic device use was also noted, with 34 drivers manually operating a device and 19 talking on a hand-held device.

The majority of crashes (4,085) occurred on straight, level sections of roadway. However, road geometry played a role in a subset of incidents. Crashes on curves accounted for 360 incidents, while crashes on graded (sloped) sections of road accounted for 1,310 incidents.

The distribution of crashes across Mahoning County's municipalities shows significant concentration in a few areas. The city of Youngstown accounted for the largest number of crashes with 1,708, representing 30.5% of the county total. Boardman followed with 1,253 crashes (22.4%), and Austintown recorded 764 crashes (13.6%).

Prior to impact, the most common action for vehicles involved was proceeding straight ahead, which was the case for 5,524 vehicles (55.4% of all units). A significant number of vehicles, 1,680 (16.9%), were either slowing or stopped in traffic at the time of the crash. Making a left turn was the pre-crash action for 805 vehicles.

The most frequent crash type was single-vehicle incidents, classified as 'Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport,' which accounted for 1,731 crashes (30.9%). Among multi-vehicle crashes, angle collisions were the most common, with 1,452 incidents (25.9%). Rear-end collisions were nearly as frequent, with 1,436 incidents representing 25.6% of the total.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 4,878 of the 9,969 vehicles recorded. Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) were the second most common with 2,754 units, followed by pickup trucks with 1,040 units. Commercial vehicles, including semi-tractors and single-unit trucks, were involved in 447 instances.

Of the 13,116 individuals involved in crashes, the vast majority were vehicle drivers, accounting for 9,621 people (73.3%). Passengers (occupants) made up the next largest group with 3,466 individuals (26.4%). A smaller but notable group consisted of 29 pedestrians involved in these incidents.

Examining the outcomes for all 13,116 people involved in crashes, 21 individuals sustained fatal injuries. A total of 2,127 people suffered some level of injury, ranging from possible (956) and minor (1,002) to serious (169). The remaining 10,702 individuals were not injured.

Safety equipment usage was documented for most individuals involved in crashes, with 10,666 people reported as using a shoulder and lap belt. A total of 536 individuals were recorded as using no safety equipment at all. Proper restraints for younger passengers were also noted, with 389 using child restraint systems and 104 using booster seats.

The majority of crashes in Mahoning County involved two vehicles, with 3,795 such incidents making up 67.7% of the total. Single-vehicle crashes were the next most common category, with 1,544 incidents (27.5%). Crashes involving three or more vehicles were less frequent, accounting for 265 incidents, including one crash that involved eight vehicles.