469 CRASHES IN
OHIO, OH
2021

All 6 fatalities and 99 injuries recorded in Paulding County in 2021 involved motorists. There were no pedestrians or cyclists killed or injured in traffic crashes during this period. Of the 99 motorists injured, 8 sustained serious injuries, 58 had minor injuries, and 33 had possible injuries.

Crash frequency in Paulding County peaked on Thursdays, with 78 incidents recorded. The single busiest hour for crashes was the 6 p.m. hour, which saw 44 crashes. Analysis of lighting conditions shows that more crashes occurred in non-daylight hours (270 incidents in dark, dawn, or dusk conditions) than during full daylight (197 incidents).

The vast majority of crashes, 82.9% or 389 incidents, resulted in no injuries. Crashes involving injuries accounted for 17.1% of the total, including 5 fatal crashes, 7 with serious injuries, and 45 with minor injuries. While there were 5 fatal crashes, these events resulted in a total of 6 individuals killed.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 5 fatal crash events resulted in 6 persons killed.

Most crashes occurred in favorable conditions. Clear weather was reported in 311 of the 469 total crashes, and 370 incidents took place on dry road surfaces. However, only 197 crashes, or 42% of the total, occurred during daylight hours, with 206 happening on unlit dark roadways.

Among the 759 people involved in crashes, the 26-34 age group was the most represented, with 132 individuals. Of the 601 vehicles involved, the most frequent makes were Chevrolet (183 vehicles), Ford (90 vehicles), and Dodge (53 vehicles). Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type, accounting for 276 of the vehicles in crashes.

The first harmful event in most crashes, 381 incidents, occurred on the roadway itself. However, a notable number of crashes involved vehicles leaving the travel lanes, with 45 incidents occurring on the roadside, 25 on the shoulder, and 2 in the median. Combined, these run-off-road events account for 72 crashes, or 15.4% of the total.

The majority of vehicles involved in crashes were at locations with no traffic controls present, accounting for 526 units. Intersections with stop signs were the next most common location, involving 53 vehicles. Crashes at locations with traffic signals were less frequent, involving 19 vehicles.

Among contributing factors cited for drivers, 'Drove off Road' was the most common, noted for 58 vehicles. This was followed by 'Following too Close / ACDA' for 33 vehicles and 'Failure to Yield' for 32 vehicles. 'Unsafe Speed' was a factor for 18 vehicles involved in crashes.

A total of 48 commercial trucks were involved in crashes in 2021. Of these, 39 were identified as semi-tractor-trailers, while the remaining 9 were classified as other types of commercial vehicles. These trucks represented approximately 8% of all vehicles involved in crashes.

Crashes involving animals were a significant factor, with 215 such incidents recorded, accounting for nearly 46% of all crashes in the county. The vast majority of these, 205 crashes, involved collisions with deer. An additional 10 crashes involved other types of animals.

Impairment was a factor in 23 crashes, representing 4.9% of the total. Alcohol was the sole factor in 15 of these incidents, drugs were the sole factor in 7, and a combination of alcohol and drugs was noted in 1 crash.

Excluding drivers noted as 'Apparently Normal,' 31 drivers were recorded with a specific adverse condition. Of these, 23 were identified as being under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol. Additionally, 3 drivers reportedly fell asleep or were fatigued, 2 were ill, and 2 had a physical impairment.

Among the 581 drivers involved in crashes, a specific distraction was identified for 18 individuals. The most cited issues were other distractions inside the vehicle (7 drivers) and other distractions outside the vehicle (5 drivers). Manually operating an electronic device was explicitly noted for 1 driver.

The majority of crashes, 427 incidents, occurred on straight and level sections of roadway. Roadway geometry was a factor in a smaller subset of crashes, with 25 incidents taking place on a curve and 25 incidents occurring on a grade.

The highest concentration of crashes occurred in the township of Paulding, which saw 84 incidents. The next most frequent locations were Crane township with 64 crashes and Brown township with 50 crashes. Together, these three areas accounted for 42% of all crashes in the county.

The most common pre-crash action for vehicles was driving straight ahead, which was reported for 480 of the 601 vehicles involved. The next most frequent actions were making a left turn, reported for 26 vehicles, and slowing or stopped in traffic, reported for 21 vehicles.

The predominant crash type was 'Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport,' which accounted for 358 crashes, or 76.3% of the total. For crashes involving multiple vehicles, angle collisions were the most common type with 38 incidents, followed by rear-end collisions with 35 incidents.

Passenger cars were the most common type of vehicle involved in crashes, with 276 units. Sport utility vehicles (116 units) and pickup trucks (107 units) were also frequently involved. Commercial vehicles, including 42 semi-tractors and 11 single-unit trucks, accounted for a smaller portion of the total.

Of the 759 individuals involved in crashes, the vast majority were either drivers (581 people) or vehicle occupants (178 people). No pedestrians, cyclists, or other types of persons were recorded in any of the crash reports for this period.

Among the 759 people involved in crashes, 6 individuals sustained fatal injuries and 99 were injured. This group of 105 people killed or injured represents 13.8% of all persons involved. The majority of individuals, 651 people or 85.8%, were not injured.

Among 759 crash participants, 648 were reported to have used a shoulder and lap belt. A total of 43 individuals were recorded as using no safety equipment. Child restraints, including forward-facing, rear-facing, and booster seats, were used by a combined 32 occupants.

Single-vehicle crashes were the most common type of incident, accounting for 341 of the 469 total crashes (72.7%). Crashes involving two vehicles were the next most frequent, with 124 incidents. There were also 4 crashes that involved three vehicles.