2,492 CRASHES IN
OHIO, OH
2021

Motorists comprised the entirety of the 12 fatalities and the vast majority of injuries, with 733 motorists injured. While no pedestrian or cyclist fatalities were recorded, 18 pedestrians were injured in crashes. There were no cyclist injuries reported in the data for this period.

Crash frequency peaked on Fridays, with 425 incidents recorded. The single busiest hour for crashes was between 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM, which saw 201 crashes. The majority of collisions, 1,626 in total, occurred during daylight hours, compared to 733 crashes that happened in dark conditions, whether the roadway was lighted or not.

The vast majority of crashes, 78.6% (1,958 incidents), resulted in no injuries. Injury-related crashes, including serious, minor, and possible injuries, accounted for 21.0% of the total. There were 12 fatal crashes, which resulted in 12 total fatalities during this period.

A majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions, with 65.2% (1,626 crashes) happening in daylight, 75.4% (1,879 crashes) on dry road surfaces, and 58.3% (1,454 crashes) in clear weather. Adverse conditions included 303 crashes during rain, 506 on wet roads, and 733 in dark conditions.

Among the 5,650 individuals involved in crashes, the 26-34 age group was the most represented with 906 people, followed by the 35-44 age group with 778 people. Of the 4,237 vehicles involved, the most frequent makes were Chevrolet (730), Ford (629), and Honda (396).

The majority of crashes, 1,936 incidents, had their first harmful event occur on the roadway. However, a significant number of crashes were run-off-road events, with 410 occurring on the roadside, 64 on the shoulder, and 20 in the median, collectively accounting for 494 crashes off the primary travel lanes.

Analysis of the 4,237 vehicles involved in crashes shows that most were at locations with no traffic control device present, accounting for 3,033 vehicles. In contrast, 840 vehicles were involved in crashes at locations with a traffic signal, and 322 were at locations with a stop sign.

Among contributing factors assigned to vehicles, 'Following too Close / ACDA' was the most common, cited for 526 vehicles. This was followed by 'Failure to Yield' for 315 vehicles and 'Drove off Road' for 301 vehicles.

A total of 240 commercial trucks were involved in crashes during this period. Of these, 181 were classified as semi-tractor-trailers, and 59 were identified as other types of commercial vehicles.

There were 68 crashes involving motorcyclists or vulnerable road users. These included 46 crashes with motorcyclists, 17 with pedestrians, and 5 with bicyclists. Combined, crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists totaled 22 incidents.

A total of 221 crashes involved collisions with animals. The vast majority of these, 210 incidents, were strikes involving deer, while 11 involved other types of animals. Animal-related collisions accounted for 8.8% of all crashes.

Impairment was a factor in 145 crashes, representing 5.8% of the total. Among these, alcohol was suspected in 87 incidents, drugs in 31, and a combination of alcohol and drugs in 27.

Out of 4,013 drivers with a reported condition, 177 were noted as having a condition other than 'Apparently Normal.' This included 104 drivers suspected of being under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol, 33 with a physical impairment, and 24 who fell asleep, fainted, or were fatigued.

Among 4,013 drivers, a specific distraction was identified for 149 of them. The most cited distractions were 'Other distraction inside the vehicle' (60 drivers), 'Other distraction outside the vehicle' (36 drivers), and 'Manually operating an electronic communication device' (29 drivers).

Road geometry played a role in a notable portion of crashes. Collisions on curves occurred in 418 incidents (16.8% of total), while crashes on a grade (uphill or downhill) occurred in 715 incidents (28.7% of total).

The geographic distribution of crashes was heavily concentrated in Zanesville, which accounted for 1,127 incidents, or 45.2% of the county's total. The next most frequent locations were Falls township with 247 crashes and Washington township with 145 crashes.

An analysis of the actions of 4,237 vehicles prior to a crash shows that the most common maneuver was 'Straight Ahead,' reported for 2,204 vehicles. The second most common pre-crash action was 'Slowing or Stopped In Traffic,' involving 666 vehicles.

The most frequent type of collision was 'Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport,' which includes single-vehicle crashes and represented 43.8% of all incidents (1,091 crashes). The second most common type was a rear-end collision, accounting for 539 crashes or 21.6% of the total.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, with 1,775 units, followed by 1,101 Sport Utility Vehicles. Commercial vehicles were also present, including 206 semi-tractors, 64 single-unit trucks, and 17 buses.

Of the 5,650 people involved in crashes, the majority were drivers (4,013 people, or 71.0%). Passengers accounted for 1,618 individuals (28.6%), and pedestrians made up 19 of the total persons involved.

Among all 5,650 individuals involved in crashes, 12 sustained fatal injuries (0.2%) and 751 sustained some level of non-fatal injury (13.3%). The majority of people, 4,847 individuals, were not injured.

Among the 5,650 people involved in crashes, 4,490 were reported as using a shoulder and lap belt. A total of 312 individuals, or 5.5% of all participants, were recorded as using no safety equipment.