820 CRASHES IN
OHIO, OH
2021

In 2021, two motorists were killed and 251 were injured in Ottawa County crashes. In addition to motorists, six pedestrians sustained injuries. No fatalities were recorded for pedestrians or bicyclists during this period.

Crash frequency in Ottawa County peaked on Fridays, which saw 135 incidents over the year. The single hour with the most crashes was from 6:00 PM to 6:59 PM, during which 68 crashes occurred. Analysis of lighting conditions shows that 468 crashes (57.1%) happened during daylight, while 290 crashes occurred in dark conditions, whether on lighted or unlighted roadways.

The majority of crashes, 647 incidents or 78.9%, resulted in no injuries. Crashes involving injuries accounted for 20.8% of the total, including 29 with serious injuries and 106 with minor injuries. Two crashes were classified as fatal, which may differ from the total number of persons killed.

A significant majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions. Crashes on dry roads accounted for 680 incidents (82.9%), while 559 crashes (68.2%) happened in clear weather. Daylight conditions were present for 468 crashes (57.1%). In contrast, 49 crashes were reported during rain and 28 during snow.

Among the 1,624 people involved in crashes, the largest age groups were those 65 and older (238 people), 26-34 years old (235 people), and 55-64 years old (232 people). Of the 1,233 vehicles involved, the most frequent makes were Ford (248 vehicles), Chevrolet (212 vehicles), and Dodge (89 vehicles).

The initial harmful event for most crashes, 637 incidents, occurred on the primary roadway. However, a notable portion of crashes were run-off-road events, with 84 occurring on the roadside, 71 on the shoulder, and 14 outside the trafficway. In total, 170 crashes, or 20.7% of the total, began off the main travel lanes.

Analysis of 1,224 vehicle units with traffic control data shows that the majority of incidents, involving 994 units, occurred at locations with no traffic control present. For locations with controls, 110 units were involved in crashes at stop signs and 108 at traffic signals.

Among driver actions contributing to crashes, 'Following too Close / ACDA' was the most cited factor, attributed to 118 drivers. 'Drove off Road' was the second most common factor with 104 instances, followed by 'Failure to Yield' with 99 instances.

Crashes involving commercial trucks accounted for 64 incidents in 2021. Of these, 44 involved a semi-tractor trailer, while the remaining 20 involved other types of commercial vehicles.

A total of 24 crashes involved vulnerable road users, including motorcyclists, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Motorcyclists were involved in 17 of these crashes. The remaining incidents involved 6 pedestrians and 1 bicyclist.

Animal strikes were a significant factor in Ottawa County crashes, accounting for 224 incidents, or 27.3% of the annual total. The vast majority of these, 214 crashes, involved collisions with deer, while 10 involved other animals.

A total of 56 crashes were identified as involving an impaired driver. Among these, alcohol was a factor in 42 crashes, drugs were a factor in 7 crashes, and a combination of alcohol and drugs was noted in another 7 crashes.

Among 1,160 drivers with condition data, 66 were noted as having a condition other than 'Apparently Normal'. The most common condition was 'Under the Influence of Medications / Drugs / Alcohol', recorded for 43 drivers. Other noted conditions included physical impairment (8 drivers), emotional distress (6 drivers), and falling asleep or fatigue (5 drivers).

For the 1,160 drivers with distraction data, 68 were noted as being distracted. The most common specified distractions were 'Other distraction inside the vehicle' (27 drivers) and 'Other distraction outside the vehicle' (20 drivers). Nine drivers were reported to be manually operating an electronic communication device.

The vast majority of crashes, 722 out of 820, occurred on straight and level sections of roadway. Crashes on curves accounted for 63 incidents, combining those on level curves (40) and graded curves (23). An additional 30 crashes occurred on straight grades.

The highest concentration of crashes within Ottawa County occurred in Port Clinton, which recorded 107 incidents. This was followed by Portage township with 100 crashes, Danbury township with 91, and both Carroll and Harris townships with 58 crashes each.

Among 1,233 vehicles with pre-crash action data, the most common action was 'Straight Ahead', reported for 758 vehicles. The next most frequent actions were 'Slowing or Stopped In Traffic' with 120 vehicles and 'Making Left Turn' with 89 vehicles.

Single-vehicle crashes, categorized as 'Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport', were the most frequent type, accounting for 474 incidents or 57.8% of all crashes. Among multi-vehicle collisions, rear-end crashes were most common with 123 incidents (15.0%), followed by angle collisions with 117 incidents (14.3%).

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, with 464 units recorded. Sport Utility Vehicles were the second most common with 304 units, followed by pickup trucks with 245 units. Combined, these three vehicle types represent 82% of all vehicles in crashes.

A total of 1,624 individuals were involved in crashes. The majority of these were drivers, accounting for 1,160 people (71.4%). The remaining individuals were vehicle occupants (458 people, 28.2%) and pedestrians (6 people, 0.4%).

Of the 1,624 people involved in crashes, 2 sustained fatal injuries. A total of 257 individuals were injured, with severities ranging from possible (65 people) and minor (158 people) to serious (34 people). The majority of individuals, 1,344 people, were not injured.

Among 1,624 crash participants, 1,328 were reported as using a shoulder and lap belt. Conversely, 83 individuals were reported as using no safety equipment at all, representing 5.1% of all participants with available data. An additional 22 people used only a shoulder belt, and 18 used only a lap belt.

Single-vehicle crashes were the most common type of incident, accounting for 437 of the 820 total crashes (53.3%). Two-vehicle collisions were also frequent, with 357 incidents recorded (43.5%). Crashes involving three or more vehicles were less common, totaling 26 incidents for the year.