13,939 CRASHES IN
OHIO, OH
2021

In 2021, motorists accounted for the vast majority of traffic casualties, with 45 fatalities and 4,297 injuries. Among vulnerable road users, 4 pedestrians were killed and 100 were injured in crashes. No cyclist fatalities or injuries were recorded in this dataset for the period.

Crash occurrences in Summit County peaked on Fridays, with 2,208 incidents, and during the 5 p.m. hour, which saw 1,099 crashes. The data indicates a concentration of crashes during weekday afternoon commute times. Overall, 9,322 crashes, or approximately 67% of the total, occurred during daylight hours.

The vast majority of crashes in 2021, 77.8% (10,840 incidents), resulted in no injuries. Injury-related crashes, including serious, minor, and possible injuries, accounted for 21.9% of the total. There were 43 fatal crashes recorded, which resulted in a total of 49 fatalities, indicating some crashes involved more than one death.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 43 fatal crash events resulted in 49 persons killed.

The majority of crashes occurred in ideal driving conditions, with 76.3% (10,633) on dry roads, 66.9% (9,322) in daylight, and 57.2% (7,972) in clear weather. Adverse conditions were also present in a significant number of incidents, including 2,593 crashes on wet roads and 1,426 during rain. Crashes in darkness occurred in 3,698 instances, split between lighted and unlighted roadways.

Analysis of persons involved in crashes shows the 26-34 age group was the most represented, with 5,075 individuals. Among the 25,970 vehicles involved, the most frequent makes were Ford, with 3,712 vehicles, and Chevrolet, with 3,418 vehicles. Honda (2,046) and Toyota (1,947) were the next most common makes recorded in crash reports.

The first harmful event in most crashes, 12,264 incidents, occurred on the roadway itself. A notable portion, totaling 1,307 crashes (9.4%), involved a run-off-road event, with the first impact occurring on the roadside, shoulder, median, or outside the trafficway. This includes 517 crashes on the roadside and 469 on the shoulder.

Analysis of traffic controls for units involved in crashes indicates that the majority, 62.9% (16,272 units), were at locations with no traffic control device present. Signalized intersections were the location for 26.8% (6,928 units) involved in crashes. Stop signs were the third most common traffic control type, present for 1,934 units involved in collisions.

The most frequently cited contributing factor for drivers was 'Following too Close / ACDA,' attributed in 3,683 instances. 'Failure to Yield' was the second most common factor, noted in 1,646 cases, followed by 'Improper Lane Change' (939) and 'Drove off Road' (842). These factors represent specific driver actions identified in the crash reports.

A total of 933 crashes involved a commercial truck, representing 6.7% of all crashes in Summit County. These incidents were nearly evenly split between semi-tractor trailers, involved in 459 crashes, and other types of commercial vehicles, which were involved in 474 crashes.

Crashes involving vulnerable road users and motorcyclists included 172 incidents with motorcyclists, 108 with pedestrians, and 51 with bicyclists. Combined, there were 159 crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists, which are typically associated with a higher risk of severe injury. These vulnerable user crashes constituted 1.1% of all reported incidents.

There were 496 crashes involving animals, accounting for 3.6% of all incidents in the county. The vast majority of these, 462 crashes, specifically involved collisions with deer. An additional 34 crashes were attributed to collisions with other types of animals.

Impairment was a factor in 447 crashes, representing 3.2% of the total. Alcohol was the most common form of impairment, cited in 357 incidents. Drug impairment was noted in 56 crashes, and a combination of alcohol and drugs was identified in 34 crashes.

While most drivers were recorded as 'Apparently Normal,' several adverse conditions were noted. Being 'Under the Influence of Medications / Drugs / Alcohol' was recorded for 333 drivers. Emotional states such as anger or distress were cited for 115 drivers, while fatigue or falling asleep was a factor for 106 drivers.

Among the 24,627 drivers involved in crashes, specific distractions were identified in several hundred cases. The most common was 'Other distraction inside the vehicle,' noted for 263 drivers, followed by 'Other distraction outside the vehicle' for 168 drivers. Electronic device use was also a factor, with 51 drivers manually operating a device and 88 engaged in another activity with an electronic device.

While the majority of crashes (9,243) occurred on straight, level road segments, a notable number happened on roads with more complex geometry. Crashes on curves accounted for 9.9% of the total (1,373 incidents), while crashes on grades (slopes) made up 28.8% of the total (4,020 incidents). The combination of a curve and a grade was present in 738 crashes.

The geographic distribution of crashes within Summit County is highly concentrated in its most populous city. Akron accounted for 6,523 crashes, representing 46.8% of the county's total for the year. The next highest volumes were seen in Cuyahoga Falls with 1,129 crashes, Green with 804, and Stow with 612 crashes.

The most common pre-crash action for vehicles was 'Straight Ahead,' which was reported for 13,537 units, or 52.1% of all vehicles involved. The second most frequent action was 'Slowing or Stopped In Traffic,' noted for 4,372 vehicles (16.8%). 'Making Left Turn' was the third most common maneuver, reported for 2,122 vehicles prior to impact.

The most frequent type of collision was a single-vehicle crash, classified as 'Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport,' accounting for 3,815 incidents or 27.4% of the total. Rear-end collisions were the most common multi-vehicle crash type, with 3,756 incidents (26.9%). Angle collisions were also prevalent, occurring in 3,069 crashes (22%).

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, with 12,346 units recorded. Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) were the second most frequent with 6,316 units, followed by pickup trucks with 2,362 units. Commercial vehicles, including semi-tractors, single-unit trucks, and buses, were involved in 925 instances.

Of the 32,409 individuals involved in crashes, the majority were drivers, accounting for 24,627 people (76.0%). Vehicle occupants (passengers) made up the next largest group with 7,649 individuals (23.6%). Pedestrians were involved in 133 instances, representing 0.4% of all persons.

Examining the outcomes for all 32,409 people involved in crashes, 49 individuals sustained fatal injuries (0.15%). A total of 4,397 people, or 13.6% of all participants, suffered some level of injury, ranging from possible to serious. The majority of individuals, 26,178 people, were not injured.

Safety equipment usage was documented for most vehicle occupants, with 25,546 individuals reported as using a shoulder and lap belt. A total of 1,281 occupants, representing 4.0% of all persons involved, were recorded as using no safety equipment at the time of the crash. Child restraints, including forward-facing, rear-facing, and booster seats, were used by a combined 1,050 children.

The most common crash scenario involved two vehicles, which occurred in 10,269 incidents. Single-vehicle crashes were the next most frequent, with 2,870 incidents, accounting for 20.6% of the total. Crashes involving three or more vehicles occurred 800 times, with one incident involving as many as 10 vehicles.