20,999 CRASHES IN
OHIO, OH
APRIL 2021

Of the 104 fatalities, 88 were motorists and 16 were pedestrians. Motorists also accounted for the vast majority of injuries with 8,075, while 143 pedestrians were injured. There were no cyclist fatalities or injuries reported in the data for this period.

Crash frequencies peaked on Fridays with 3,994 incidents, closely followed by Thursdays with 3,921. The most hazardous time of day was the 4 p.m. hour, which saw 1,817 crashes, part of a broader afternoon peak from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Collisions during daylight hours (14,966) were substantially more common than those in dark or dusk conditions.

The majority of crashes, 72.4% (15,193), resulted in no injuries. Injury-related crashes, including serious, minor, and possible injuries, accounted for 27.2% of the total, or 5,710 incidents. A total of 96 crashes were classified as fatal, which resulted in 104 total fatalities, indicating some crashes involved more than one death.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 96 fatal crash events resulted in 104 persons killed.

A significant majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions, with 79.4% (16,677) on dry roads, 71.3% (14,966) in daylight, and 62.8% (13,193) in clear weather. Adverse conditions were less frequent, with 2,204 crashes occurring during rain and 3,664 on wet road surfaces. Collisions in darkness occurred in 4,747 cases, split between lighted and unlighted roadways.

Among the 47,815 people involved in crashes, the 26-34 age group was the most represented, with 7,790 individuals. An analysis of the 38,325 vehicles involved shows that Chevrolet (5,871), Ford (5,566), and Honda (3,244) were the most frequently recorded makes in crash reports. Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type, involved in 19,791 instances.

The initial point of impact for most collisions was on the primary roadway, accounting for 17,419 crashes. However, a notable number of incidents were run-off-road events, with a combined 2,592 crashes occurring on the roadside (1,668), shoulder (755), or in the median (169). These off-roadway crashes represent 12.3% of the total.

Analysis of traffic controls at crash locations indicates that the majority of vehicles, 24,660, were involved in crashes where no traffic control device was present. Crashes at locations with traffic signals involved 9,993 vehicles, while those at stop signs involved 2,786 vehicles.

The most common contributing factor cited for drivers was 'Following too Close / ACDA' (Assured Clear Distance Ahead), noted in 4,874 instances. This was followed by 'Failure to Yield' with 3,014 citations and 'Drove off Road' with 2,020. These top three actions represent a significant portion of driver-related factors in collisions.

Crashes involving commercial trucks numbered 1,547, representing 7.4% of all collisions during this period. Of these, 854 incidents involved a semi-tractor trailer, while the remaining 693 involved other types of commercial vehicles.

There were 256 crashes involving vulnerable road users, defined here as pedestrians and bicyclists, accounting for 1.2% of all incidents. These included 164 pedestrian-involved crashes and 92 bicyclist-involved crashes. An additional 347 crashes involved motorcyclists.

A total of 1,084 crashes were attributed to collisions with animals, making up 5.2% of all incidents. The vast majority of these, 983 crashes, specifically involved deer, while 101 involved other types of animals.

Impairment was a factor in 1,160 crashes, or 5.5% of the total. Alcohol was the most frequently cited substance, involved in 758 crashes, while drugs were noted in 256 crashes. An additional 146 crashes involved a combination of both alcohol and drugs.

Among all drivers involved in crashes, 1,661 were noted as being in a condition other than 'Apparently Normal'. The most common condition was being 'Under the Influence of Medications / Drugs / Alcohol,' cited for 965 drivers. Other reported conditions included fatigue or falling asleep (279 drivers) and physical impairment (183 drivers).

Among drivers for whom distraction status was recorded, a specific distraction was identified in 1,468 cases. The most cited issues were 'Other distraction inside the vehicle' (574 drivers) and 'Other distraction outside the vehicle' (420 drivers). Manually operating an electronic device like a phone was a factor for 140 drivers.

The roadway geometry was a factor in a subset of crashes. Collisions on curves accounted for 1,977 incidents (9.4% of total), while crashes on a grade (uphill or downhill) occurred in 3,928 instances (18.7% of total). Most crashes, 15,947, took place on straight and level sections of road.

The geographic distribution of crashes is concentrated in Ohio's largest cities. Cleveland (1,338 crashes), Cincinnati (1,320), and Columbus (1,163) together accounted for 3,821 incidents, or 18.2% of the statewide total. The next most frequent locations were Toledo with 824 crashes and Akron with 553.

The most common action immediately preceding a crash was driving 'Straight Ahead,' which was the case for 20,275 vehicles (52.9% of all involved). The second most frequent pre-crash action was 'Slowing or Stopped In Traffic,' recorded for 5,739 vehicles (15.0%), often a precursor to rear-end collisions.

Single-vehicle crashes, classified as 'Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport,' were the most common type, accounting for 6,577 incidents or 31.3% of the total. Among multi-vehicle crashes, rear-end collisions were most frequent with 5,198 cases (24.8%), followed closely by angle collisions with 5,098 cases (24.3%).

Passenger cars were the predominant vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 19,791 of the 38,325 vehicles (51.6%). Sport Utility Vehicles were the second most common type with 8,546 involved. Commercial vehicles, including pick-ups, semi-tractors, and other trucks, collectively represented a notable share of the vehicles in collisions.

Of the 47,815 individuals involved in crashes, the vast majority were drivers (35,697 people, or 74.7%). Vehicle occupants or passengers constituted the next largest group, with 11,947 individuals (25.0%). A smaller but significant group of 171 pedestrians were also involved in these incidents.

Across all 47,815 people involved, 104 individuals sustained fatal injuries (0.2%) and 8,218 sustained some level of injury (17.2%). The largest group, 38,150 people (79.8%), were recorded as having no injuries. Serious injuries were reported for 638 individuals.

Among all vehicle occupants, 37,071 (77.5%) were recorded as using a shoulder and lap belt. However, 2,596 individuals (5.4%) were documented as using no safety equipment at all. Child restraint systems, including forward-facing, rear-facing, and booster seats, were used by a combined 1,771 children.

The most common crash configuration involved two vehicles, accounting for 14,360 incidents or 68.4% of the total. Single-vehicle crashes were also common, with 5,295 incidents (25.2%). Crashes involving three or more vehicles were less frequent, though one incident involved as many as 16 vehicles.