2,504 CRASHES IN
OHIO, OH
2021

Of the 20 total fatalities, 19 were motorists and one was a pedestrian. In addition to the fatalities, 675 motorists and 8 pedestrians sustained injuries. No cyclist fatalities or injuries were recorded in this period, making motorists the group most affected by fatal and injury crashes.

Crash patterns show a clear weekly and daily rhythm, with collisions peaking on Tuesdays (400 crashes). The most hazardous time of day was the 5 p.m. hour, which saw 203 crashes, aligning with the evening commuter rush. Overall, 1,516 crashes (60.6%) occurred during daylight hours, compared to 768 in dark or dawn/dusk conditions.

The vast majority of crashes, 79.9% (2,001 incidents), resulted in no injuries. Injury-involved crashes accounted for 19.3% of the total, comprising 52 serious injury, 264 minor injury, and 168 possible injury crashes. The 19 fatal crashes resulted in 20 total fatalities, indicating at least one crash involved more than one death.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 19 fatal crash events resulted in 20 persons killed.

Most crashes occurred in ideal driving conditions. Specifically, 75.5% of crashes (1,891) happened on dry roads, 58.2% (1,457) in clear weather, and 60.6% (1,516) during daylight hours. Crashes in adverse weather included 241 in rain and 86 in snow, while 469 incidents occurred on wet road surfaces.

Among the 5,382 individuals involved in crashes, the 16-20 age group was the most represented with 777 people, followed closely by the 26-34 age group with 727 people. A total of 4,238 vehicles were involved in these incidents. The most frequent vehicle makes recorded were Ford (708 vehicles), Chevrolet (699 vehicles), and Honda (426 vehicles).

The first harmful event for most incidents occurred on the primary travel lanes, accounting for 2,017 crashes (80.5%). However, a notable 350 crashes (14.0%) were classified as run-off-road events, with the first impact happening on the roadside (181), shoulder (136), or in the median (33).

Analysis of units involved in crashes shows that a majority, 2,877 units, were at locations with no traffic control devices present. In contrast, 807 units were involved in crashes at signalized intersections, and 445 were at locations controlled by a stop sign.

The most commonly cited contributing factor for drivers was "Following too Close / ACDA," attributed to 437 vehicles. This was followed by "Other Improper Action" with 379 vehicles and "Failure to Yield" with 329 vehicles.

Commercial trucks were involved in 176 crashes, representing 7.0% of all incidents. Of these, the majority (142 crashes) involved a semi-tractor trailer, while the remaining 34 crashes involved other types of commercial vehicles.

A total of 69 crashes involved a motorcyclist, bicyclist, or pedestrian. Motorcyclists were the largest group, involved in 44 crashes. Vulnerable road users, defined as pedestrians and bicyclists, were involved in a combined 25 crashes (11 pedestrian and 14 bicyclist).

Collisions with animals accounted for 321 crashes, or 12.8% of the total. The vast majority of these incidents, 296 crashes, involved deer. The remaining 25 crashes were attributed to collisions with other, unspecified animals.

Impairment was a factor in 141 crashes, accounting for 5.6% of all incidents. Alcohol was the most common form of impairment, cited in 81 crashes, followed by drugs in 48 crashes. An additional 12 crashes involved a combination of both alcohol and drugs.

Beyond impairment, other driver conditions were noted in a minority of cases. Among 3,896 drivers, 36 were reported to have fallen asleep, fainted, or been fatigued. Another 19 had a physical impairment, 15 were noted as emotional, and 14 were ill.

Among 3,896 drivers, a specific distraction was identified for 219 of them. The most common sources were "Other distraction inside the vehicle" and "Other distraction outside the vehicle," each cited for 78 drivers. Using an electronic device was noted for 47 drivers, including 16 who were manually operating one (e.g., texting).

The vast majority of crashes (2,049 incidents) occurred on straight, level road segments. However, roadway geometry played a role in a subset of crashes, with 186 incidents (7.4%) occurring on curves and 321 incidents (12.8%) occurring on grades.

The top five municipalities accounted for a significant portion of the county's crashes. Troy led with 621 crashes, followed by Piqua (447), Concord (195), Monroe (173), and Bethel (137). Together, these five locations represent 62.8% of all crashes in the county.

The most common pre-crash action for vehicles involved was driving straight ahead, which was the case for 2,339 vehicles. The next most frequent actions were slowing or stopping in traffic (523 vehicles) and being parked (317 vehicles). Making a left turn was the action for 314 vehicles prior to impact.

Single-vehicle crashes were the most common type of incident, with 1,093 crashes (43.7%) classified as "Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport." Among multi-vehicle crashes, angle collisions were the most frequent, accounting for 510 incidents (20.4%), followed by rear-end collisions with 464 incidents (18.5%).

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 2,024 of the 4,238 total vehicles (47.8%). Sport Utility Vehicles (872 vehicles) and Pick-up trucks (656 vehicles) were the next most frequent. Commercial vehicles, including semi-tractors and single-unit trucks, were involved in 199 instances.

The data includes 5,382 individuals involved in crashes. The majority of these were drivers (3,896 persons or 72.4%), while 1,474 were vehicle occupants (27.4%). A small fraction, 12 individuals (0.2%), were pedestrians.

Of the 5,382 people involved in crashes, 703 were either injured or killed, representing 13.1% of all participants. This includes 20 fatalities, 73 serious injuries, 361 minor injuries, and 249 possible injuries. The remaining 4,557 individuals were not injured.

Among all crash participants, 388 individuals (7.2%) were recorded as not using any safety equipment. In contrast, the vast majority, 4,189 people, were reported to have used a shoulder and lap belt. An additional 211 individuals were using various forms of child restraints.

The most common crash configuration was a two-vehicle collision, which occurred in 1,525 incidents (60.9% of the total). Single-vehicle crashes were also frequent, accounting for 881 incidents (35.2%). Multi-vehicle pile-ups involving three or more vehicles were less common, representing just under 4% of all crashes.