19,931 CRASHES IN
OHIO, OH
JANUARY 2021

In January 2021, motorists accounted for the largest number of casualties, with 85 fatalities and 6,718 injuries. Pedestrians represented a significant portion of fatalities, with 23 individuals killed and 139 injured in crashes. The data reported no cyclist fatalities or injuries during this period.

Crash frequency varied significantly by time of day and week. The data shows a peak on Fridays, which recorded 3,591 incidents. The single busiest hour for crashes was the 6 p.m. hour, with 1,589 events. Crashes were distributed throughout the 24-hour cycle, with 9,509 (47.7%) occurring in daylight and 9,022 (45.3%) occurring in dark conditions.

The majority of crashes, 75.3% (15,013 incidents), resulted in no injuries. Injury-involved crashes, including serious, minor, and possible injuries, accounted for 24.2% of the total. There were 97 distinct fatal crashes during this period, which resulted in a total of 108 fatalities, indicating some crashes involved multiple deaths.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 97 fatal crash events resulted in 108 persons killed.

A significant portion of crashes occurred in seemingly favorable conditions, with 42.1% (8,385) happening in clear weather and 59.6% (11,888) on dry road surfaces. Crashes during daylight hours accounted for 47.7% (9,509) of the total. Conversely, adverse conditions were also prevalent, with 24.1% of crashes occurring in rain, snow, or sleet, and 39.2% on roads that were wet, snowy, or icy.

Analysis of persons involved in crashes shows the 26-34 age group was the most represented, with 6,914 individuals. Among the 34,274 vehicles involved, Chevrolet was the most frequent make with 5,271 vehicles recorded. Ford followed with 5,048 vehicles, and Honda was third with 2,854 vehicles.

The initial harmful event in most crashes, 15,617 incidents, occurred on the roadway itself. A notable 3,328 crashes, representing 16.7% of the total, were classified as run-off-road events where the first harmful event happened on the roadside, shoulder, or in the median.

Analysis of traffic controls present at crash locations shows that the majority of vehicles involved, 22,445, were in areas with no traffic control device. For comparison, 8,668 vehicles were involved in crashes at locations with a traffic signal, and 2,406 were at locations with a stop sign.

Among contributing factors cited for drivers, 'Following too Close / ACDA' was the most common, attributed to 3,684 vehicles. 'Failure to Yield' was the next most frequent factor with 2,460 instances, followed by 'Drove off Road' (2,384) and 'Unsafe Speed' (1,563).

A total of 1,375 crashes, representing 6.9% of all incidents, involved a commercial vehicle. Of these, 810 crashes involved a semi-tractor trailer, while 565 involved other types of commercial vehicles.

Crashes involving vulnerable road users included 172 incidents with pedestrians and 28 with bicyclists. Combined, these 200 crashes represent 1.0% of all incidents. Additionally, 23 crashes involved a motorcyclist.

There were 1,379 crashes involving animals, accounting for 6.9% of all reported incidents. The vast majority of these, 1,284 crashes, were collisions with deer, while 95 involved other animals.

Impairment was a factor in 1,128 crashes, or 5.7% of the total. Among these, alcohol was cited in 761 cases, drugs in 240 cases, and a combination of alcohol and drugs in 127 cases.

While most drivers were listed as 'Apparently Normal,' specific conditions were noted for 1,497 drivers. 'Under the Influence of Medications / Drugs / Alcohol' was the most cited condition, affecting 955 drivers. Other reported conditions included fatigue or falling asleep (172 drivers), physical impairment (165 drivers), and emotional distress (122 drivers).

Among the 31,611 drivers with data, a specific distraction was identified for 1,125 individuals. The most common citation was 'Other distraction inside the vehicle' with 473 instances, followed by 'Other distraction outside the vehicle' with 284. Electronic devices were a factor, with 136 drivers manually operating a device and 129 engaged in other electronic device activity.

The road geometry was a straight and level surface for 14,452 crashes. However, a notable number of incidents occurred on non-level or curved roads. Crashes on grades (both straight and curved) accounted for 4,217 incidents (21.2% of the total), while crashes on curves (both level and graded) accounted for 2,377 incidents (11.9%).

The geographic distribution of crashes was concentrated in major urban areas. Cincinnati had the highest volume with 1,176 crashes, followed by Cleveland with 1,040 and Columbus with 1,024. Together, these three cities accounted for 16.3% of all crashes statewide during this period.

The most common action by vehicles immediately prior to a crash was driving 'Straight Ahead,' which was the case for 18,427 vehicles. The second most frequent pre-crash action was 'Slowing or Stopped In Traffic,' recorded for 4,421 vehicles. 'Making Left Turn' was the third most common action, involving 2,818 vehicles.

The most frequent crash type was 'Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport,' which accounted for 7,850 incidents, or 39.4% of the total. Among crashes involving multiple vehicles, angle collisions were most common (4,382 crashes, 22.0%), followed closely by rear-end collisions (4,036 crashes, 20.2%).

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 17,714 of the 34,274 vehicles (51.7%). Sport Utility Vehicles (7,835) and Pick up trucks (3,866) were also frequently involved. Commercial vehicles, including semi-tractors, single unit trucks, and buses, comprised 5.3% of all vehicles in crashes.

Of the 41,565 individuals involved in crashes, the majority (31,611, or 76.1%) were drivers. Vehicle occupants, or passengers, accounted for 9,777 individuals (23.5%). Pedestrians made up 0.4% of the total persons involved, with 177 individuals recorded.

Across all 41,565 people involved in crashes, a total of 6,857 individuals sustained some level of injury, representing 16.5% of all participants. Fatal injuries were recorded for 108 individuals, accounting for 0.26% of all persons involved. The vast majority, 33,164 people, were not injured.

Among vehicle occupants for whom safety equipment use was recorded, 1,849 individuals (4.5%) were documented as using no restraint system at all. The most common status was 'Shoulder and Lap Belt Used,' reported for 32,667 people. Child restraint systems, including forward-facing, rear-facing, and booster seats, were used by a combined 1,327 occupants.

The data shows that most incidents were two-vehicle crashes, accounting for 12,066 events or 60.5% of the total. Single-vehicle crashes were also common, with 6,832 incidents making up 34.3% of all crashes. Multi-vehicle pile-ups involving three or more vehicles were less frequent, with the largest pile-ups in this period involving 9 vehicles.