196 CRASHES IN
OHIO, OH
2021

All 5 fatalities and 61 injuries recorded in Noble County in 2021 involved motorists. There were no pedestrians or cyclists killed or injured in traffic crashes during this period.

Crashes in Noble County occurred most frequently on Mondays and Wednesdays, with each day recording 36 incidents. The peak time for crashes was the 2 p.m. hour, which saw 17 collisions. While 114 crashes (58.2%) happened during daylight, a notable 71 crashes (36.2%) occurred in darkness on unlit roadways.

Of the 196 total crashes, 146 (74.5%) resulted in no injuries, being classified as property-damage-only events. The remaining crashes involved injuries of varying severity, including 5 fatal crashes (2.6%), 6 serious injury crashes (3.1%), and 27 minor injury crashes (13.8%). The 5 fatal crashes resulted in a total of 5 fatalities.

The majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions, with 116 incidents (59.2%) happening in clear weather and 148 (75.5%) on dry road surfaces. Crashes in adverse weather included 12 in rain and 10 in snow. Collisions on non-dry surfaces included 24 on wet roads and 12 on icy roads.

The age groups most frequently involved in crashes were 35-44 years old (53 individuals) and 26-34 years old (52 individuals). Among the 256 vehicles involved, the most common makes were Chevrolet (55 vehicles), Ford (38 vehicles), and Dodge (25 vehicles).

Analysis of the initial crash location shows that 127 incidents (64.8%) occurred on the roadway. A significant portion, 57 crashes or 29.1%, were run-off-road events, with the first harmful event taking place on the roadside (41 crashes), shoulder (15 crashes), or in the median (1 crash).

The vast majority of vehicles involved in crashes were at locations with no traffic controls, accounting for 222 of the 256 vehicles (86.7%). A smaller number of vehicles were involved in crashes at locations with a signal (21 vehicles) or a stop sign (11 vehicles).

Among drivers for whom a contributing factor was cited, unsafe speed was the most common, noted in 43 instances. This was followed by driving off the road (25 instances) and failure to yield (12 instances). Left of center movements and following too closely were also noted as contributing factors, with 10 and 7 instances respectively.

Crashes involved 22 commercial vehicles, including 17 semi-tractor trailers and 5 other types of commercial vehicles. These vehicles were part of a diverse mix of traffic incidents throughout the county.

A total of 42 crashes involved collisions with animals, representing 21.4% of all crashes in the county. Deer were the most common animal involved, accounting for 38 of these incidents, while other unspecified animals were involved in the remaining 4 crashes.

Impairment was a factor in 16 crashes, which is 8.2% of the total. Of these, 10 incidents involved alcohol, 3 involved drugs, and 3 involved a combination of both alcohol and drugs.

Excluding drivers noted as 'Apparently Normal', specific adverse driver conditions were recorded for 22 individuals. Fourteen drivers were identified as being under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol, while 7 were reported to have fallen asleep, fainted, or been fatigued.

Among the 248 drivers involved in crashes, 9 were noted as being distracted by a specific factor. Six drivers were distracted by something inside their vehicle, 2 were manually operating an electronic communication device, and 1 was talking on a hands-free device.

Road geometry played a role in a significant number of crashes, with 74 incidents (37.8%) occurring on a grade and 58 incidents (29.6%) occurring on a curve. Crashes on sections that were both curved and graded accounted for 31 of these incidents.

The geographic distribution of crashes was concentrated in a few key areas. The township of Olive saw the most crashes with 44, followed by Noble with 37 and Buffalo with 32. Together, these three locations accounted for 113 crashes, or 57.7% of the county's total.

The most common action by vehicles prior to a crash was driving straight ahead, which was the case for 166 of the 256 vehicles involved (64.8%). The next most frequent pre-crash action was negotiating a curve, which accounted for 37 vehicles (14.5%).

The predominant crash type was single-vehicle incidents, classified as 'Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport', which accounted for 146 of the 196 total crashes (74.5%). The most frequent type of multi-vehicle crash was angle collisions, with 16 incidents (8.2%).

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, with 98 units, followed by 59 pick-up trucks and 50 sport utility vehicles. These three categories combined represent 80.9% of the 256 vehicles involved in collisions.

A total of 333 people were involved in crashes, of whom 248 (74.5%) were drivers. The remaining 85 individuals (25.5%) were vehicle occupants or passengers. No other person types, such as pedestrians or cyclists, were recorded in any crash.

Of the 333 people involved in crashes, 66 sustained some level of injury or were killed. This includes 5 fatalities, 7 serious injuries, 36 minor injuries, and 18 possible injuries. The majority of individuals, 266 people (79.9%), were not injured.

Among 333 people involved in crashes, 25 individuals (7.5%) were recorded as not using any safety equipment. The most commonly used restraint was a shoulder and lap belt, utilized by 252 people.

Single-vehicle crashes were the most common type of incident, with 139 crashes (70.9%) involving only one vehicle. Two-vehicle collisions accounted for 54 crashes (27.6%), and there were 3 crashes that involved three vehicles.