22,107 CRASHES IN
OHIO, OH
JULY 2021

Motorists comprised the largest group of individuals killed or injured, with 131 fatalities and 9,053 injuries. In the same period, 16 pedestrians were killed and 169 were injured in traffic crashes. The data reported zero cyclists killed and zero cyclists injured.

Crash frequency peaked on Fridays, with 4,033 incidents, and during the 4:00 PM hour, which saw 1,911 crashes. The data shows a distinct pattern with crash volumes rising through the workday and peaking during the afternoon commute hours between 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM, before tapering off into the evening and late-night hours.

The majority of crashes, 70.8% (15,655 incidents), resulted in no injuries. Crashes involving injuries accounted for 29.2% of the total, broken down into serious injuries (3.0%), minor injuries (14.6%), and possible injuries (11.0%). There were 136 fatal crashes, which resulted in a total of 147 fatalities, indicating some incidents involved multiple deaths.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 136 fatal crash events resulted in 147 persons killed.

A significant majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions. Data shows 75.2% of incidents happened in daylight, 84.7% on dry road surfaces, and 68.2% in clear weather. Adverse conditions were less frequent, with 2,079 crashes (9.4%) occurring during rain and 3,175 crashes (14.4%) taking place on wet roads.

Among the 50,845 people involved in crashes, the 26-34 age group was the most represented, with 8,068 individuals. Of the 40,225 vehicles involved, the most frequent makes were Chevrolet (6,038 vehicles), Ford (5,697 vehicles), and Honda (3,360 vehicles).

The vast majority of crashes, 18,408 incidents, had their first harmful event occur on the primary roadway. However, a notable number of crashes occurred off the main travel lanes, with 1,831 on the roadside, 749 on the shoulder, and 152 in the median. Combined, these run-off-road incidents represent approximately 12.4% of all crashes.

Analysis of the 39,984 vehicles with traffic control data shows that the largest number of vehicles, 26,116, were involved in crashes where no traffic control was present. Crashes at locations with traffic signals involved 10,397 vehicles, while those at stop signs involved 2,856 vehicles.

Among driver-related contributing factors, 'Following too Close / ACDA' was the most cited, attributed to 5,147 vehicles. This was followed by 'Failure to Yield' with 3,225 vehicles and 'Other Improper Action' with 2,610 vehicles. 'Drove off Road' was also a significant factor, cited for 2,124 vehicles.

A total of 1,788 commercial trucks were involved in crashes during this period. Of these, 1,028 were identified as semi-tractor trailers, while the remaining 760 were classified as other types of commercial vehicles. These incidents accounted for approximately 8.1% of all crashes in the state.

Crashes involved 975 vulnerable road users and motorcyclists. This group included 641 motorcyclists, 186 pedestrians, and 148 bicyclists. Combined, pedestrians and bicyclists were involved in 334 separate crashes.

A total of 1,031 crashes were recorded as involving animals. Deer were the most common animal involved, accounting for 925 of these incidents, or approximately 89.7% of all animal-related crashes. The remaining 106 crashes involved other, unspecified animals.

There were 1,177 crashes involving impairment, representing 5.3% of all crashes. Of these, alcohol was a factor in 763 incidents, drugs were a factor in 264, and a combination of alcohol and drugs was noted in 150 crashes.

Beyond normal driving conditions, several driver conditions were noted prior to crashes. A total of 947 drivers were reported as being under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol. Additionally, 270 drivers were reported to have fallen asleep, fainted, or been fatigued, while 166 were noted as emotional and 160 had a physical impairment.

Among the 35,935 drivers with distraction data, a number of specific distractions were identified. The most common were 'Other distraction inside the vehicle' (611 drivers) and 'Other distraction outside the vehicle' (407 drivers). Manual operation of an electronic device was cited for 171 drivers, while another 163 were engaged in other activities with an electronic device.

The majority of crashes (16,884) occurred on straight, level sections of roadway. However, roadway geometry was a factor in a subset of crashes, with 4,101 incidents (18.6%) occurring on a grade (either straight or curved) and 2,028 incidents (9.2%) occurring on a curve (either level or graded).

The highest concentration of crashes occurred in Ohio's major urban centers. The top three cities, Cincinnati (1,348 crashes), Cleveland (1,337 crashes), and Columbus (1,234 crashes), collectively accounted for 3,919 crashes, representing 17.7% of the statewide total for the month.

Analysis of the 40,225 vehicles with pre-crash action data shows most were performing normal driving maneuvers. The most common action was 'Straight Ahead', noted for 21,325 vehicles (53.0%). This was followed by 'Slowing or Stopped In Traffic' (5,905 vehicles, 14.7%) and 'Making Left Turn' (3,295 vehicles, 8.2%).

The most frequent type of crash was a single-vehicle incident, categorized as 'Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport', which accounted for 7,023 crashes (31.8%). Among multi-vehicle crashes, rear-end collisions were the most common, with 5,495 incidents (24.9%), followed by angle collisions with 5,093 incidents (23.0%).

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 20,312 of the 40,225 vehicles (50.5%). Sport Utility Vehicles were the second most common type with 8,858 vehicles (22.0%), followed by Pick-up trucks with 4,367 vehicles (10.9%).

Of the 50,845 individuals involved in crashes, the majority were drivers, accounting for 37,492 people (73.7%). Passengers (occupants) represented the second-largest group with 13,151 individuals (25.9%), while pedestrians accounted for 202 individuals (0.4%).

Across all 50,845 people involved in crashes, 9,222 individuals (18.1%) sustained some level of injury. This included 147 fatalities (0.3% of all persons), 841 serious injuries, 4,485 minor injuries, and 3,896 possible injuries. The vast majority, 39,789 people, were recorded as having no injuries.

Among the 50,845 individuals in vehicles, 39,518 were reported as using a shoulder and lap belt. However, 2,432 people were documented as using no safety equipment at all. An additional 1,778 individuals were in various types of child restraint systems.

The data shows that most crashes involved either one or two vehicles. Two-vehicle crashes were the most common scenario, accounting for 15,207 incidents (68.8% of all crashes). Single-vehicle crashes accounted for 5,587 incidents, or 25.3% of the total. A small number of large multi-vehicle pile-ups were recorded, including one incident involving 15 vehicles.