466 CRASHES IN
OHIO, OH
2021

Motorists comprised the entirety of the 7 fatalities and the vast majority of injuries, with 69 motorists injured in crashes. While no pedestrians were killed, 3 sustained injuries. No bicyclists were reported as either killed or injured during this period.

Crashes occurred most frequently on Wednesdays and Fridays, with each day recording 75 incidents. The data reveals distinct peaks during morning and evening commute times, with the hours of 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. each seeing 34 crashes. Notably, crashes were almost evenly split between daylight hours (200 crashes) and dark conditions, with 199 crashes occurring on unlighted roadways at night.

The vast majority of crashes, 399 out of 466 (85.6%), resulted in no injuries and were property-damage-only events. The remaining incidents involved some level of injury, ranging from possible to fatal. There were 6 fatal crashes recorded, which resulted in a total of 7 fatalities, indicating at least one crash involved multiple deaths.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 6 fatal crash events resulted in 7 persons killed.

The majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions, with 65.2% happening in clear weather and 81.8% on dry road surfaces. In contrast to weather and road conditions, lighting played a more complex role. Crashes were nearly evenly divided between daylight hours (200 incidents) and dark conditions (234 incidents), with a substantial number of crashes (199) occurring on dark, unlighted roadways.

Among the 764 people involved in crashes, the 16-20 age group was the most represented, with 145 individuals. The next most frequent age brackets were 26-34 years (119 people) and 35-44 years (112 people). The vehicle makes most frequently involved in these incidents were Chevrolet with 167 vehicles, Ford with 102 vehicles, and Dodge with 40 vehicles.

The majority of crashes, 358 out of 466, had their first harmful event occur directly on the roadway. However, a notable 102 crashes (21.9%) were run-off-road events. These incidents involved the first harmful event taking place on the roadside (69 crashes), shoulder (22 crashes), or otherwise outside the designated trafficway.

The vast majority of vehicles involved in crashes were at locations with no traffic control device present, accounting for 519 of the 644 vehicles with this data recorded. For crashes occurring at controlled intersections, those with stop signs involved 73 vehicles, while those at intersections with traffic signals involved 46 vehicles.

The most common driver action contributing to a crash was 'Failure to Yield,' which was cited for 64 drivers. The second most frequent factor was 'Drove off Road,' attributed to 51 drivers. This was followed by 'Following too Close / ACDA' (Assured Clear Distance Ahead), which was a factor for 44 drivers.

A total of 28 commercial vehicles were involved in crashes during this period. Of these, 17 were identified as semi-tractor-trailers. The remaining 11 were classified as other types of commercial vehicles, such as single-unit trucks or cargo vans.

Collisions with animals were a major factor in Putnam County, accounting for 185 crashes, or 39.7% of the total. The overwhelming majority of these incidents, 173 crashes, were strikes involving deer. An additional 12 crashes were attributed to collisions with other, unspecified types of animals.

Impairment was identified as a contributing factor in 17 crashes, representing 3.6% of all incidents. Alcohol was the suspected impairing substance in 16 of these cases, with drugs suspected in one case. These figures should be considered a minimum, as impairment can be difficult to detect and is often under-reported in crash data.

Among drivers for whom a condition other than 'Apparently Normal' was noted, several adverse states were recorded. Fourteen drivers were identified as being under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol. Additionally, 13 drivers were reported as having fallen asleep, fainted, or being fatigued at the time of the crash.

Among the 595 drivers with distraction data, 24 were noted as being distracted by a specific activity. The most common sources of distraction were related to events or objects outside the vehicle (9 drivers) and other distractions inside the vehicle (7 drivers). Electronic device use was specified for 6 drivers, including 4 who were manually operating a device like a phone.

While the majority of crashes (392) occurred on straight and level road segments, roadway geometry was a factor in a notable portion of incidents. A total of 45 crashes, or 9.7% of the total, occurred on curves. Additionally, 41 crashes (8.8%) took place on roadways with a grade.

The geographic distribution of crashes was concentrated in several key townships. The township of Ottawa saw the highest number of incidents with 92 crashes, representing 19.7% of the county's total. Following Ottawa were Monroe with 34 crashes and Palmer with 33 crashes.

An analysis of vehicle actions immediately prior to collision shows that the vast majority, 495 of 644 vehicles (76.9%), were proceeding straight ahead. Other notable pre-crash movements included making a left turn, which was the action for 33 vehicles, and backing, which was recorded for 26 vehicles.

Single-vehicle crashes were the dominant collision type, categorized as 'Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport'. These events accounted for 310 of the 466 total crashes, or 66.5% of all incidents. Among crashes involving multiple vehicles, angle collisions were the most frequent type with 60 occurrences, followed by 40 rear-end collisions.

Passenger cars were the most common type of vehicle involved in crashes, accounting for 290 of the 644 total units (45.0%). Light trucks were also heavily represented, with 134 Sport Utility Vehicles and 114 Pickups involved. A total of 29 commercial vehicles, including 19 semi-tractors, were also involved in collisions.

Of the 764 people involved in traffic crashes, the majority were drivers, accounting for 608 individuals (79.6%). Vehicle occupants, or passengers, constituted the next largest group with 153 individuals (20.0%). Three pedestrians were also involved in crashes during this period.

Among the 764 individuals involved in crashes, 7 sustained fatal injuries and 72 sustained non-fatal injuries. This group of 72 injured persons included 9 with serious injuries, 43 with minor injuries, and 20 with possible injuries. The vast majority of people involved, 677 individuals, were not physically injured.

Safety equipment usage was high, with 663 vehicle occupants reported as using a shoulder and lap belt. However, 49 individuals were recorded as using no safety equipment at the time of their crash, representing 6.5% of persons for whom this data was available. An additional 19 children were secured in various types of child restraint systems.

Single-vehicle crashes were the most common incident type, accounting for 294 of the 466 total crashes (63.1%). Collisions involving two vehicles were the next most frequent, with 166 occurrences (35.6%). Crashes involving three or more vehicles were infrequent, with only 6 such incidents reported.