4,059 CRASHES IN
OHIO, OH
2021

In 2021, motorists accounted for the vast majority of traffic deaths and injuries in Trumbull County, with 26 motorists killed and 1,569 injured. Crashes also resulted in 3 pedestrian fatalities and 20 pedestrian injuries. According to the provided data, there were no cyclists killed or injured during this period.

Crash patterns in Trumbull County show a distinct weekly and daily rhythm. The most frequent day for crashes was Friday, with 679 incidents, while the peak hour was 3 p.m., which saw 313 crashes. The afternoon commute, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., consistently showed the highest crash volumes, with daylight hours accounting for 2,545 of the total crashes.

The majority of crashes, 72.6% or 2,945 incidents, resulted in no injuries and were classified as property-damage-only. Injury-producing crashes, including serious, minor, and possible injuries, accounted for 1,087 incidents. There were 27 distinct fatal crashes, which resulted in a total of 29 fatalities, as a single crash can involve more than one death.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 27 fatal crash events resulted in 29 persons killed.

A substantial majority of crashes occurred in ideal driving conditions. In 2021, 63% of crashes (2,545) happened in daylight, 76% (3,091) on dry roads, and 57% (2,311) in clear weather. Conversely, 405 crashes occurred during rain, 755 on wet road surfaces, and a combined 1,316 crashes took place in dark conditions, whether the roadway was lighted or not.

Among the 8,823 people involved in crashes, the 26-34 age group was the most represented with 1,375 individuals, followed by the 35-44 group with 1,166. An analysis of the 6,817 vehicles involved shows that specific makes were more frequently in crashes than others. The top three makes were Chevrolet with 1,660 vehicles, Ford with 965, and Dodge with 360.

The vast majority of initial harmful events occurred on the primary travel lanes, accounting for 3,295 crashes. However, a notable number of incidents were run-off-road events. A combined 568 crashes, or approximately 14% of the total, had their first harmful event occur off the main roadway on the roadside, shoulder, or in the median.

Most vehicles involved in crashes were at locations with no traffic control device present, accounting for 4,500 of the 6,817 vehicles in the dataset. Crashes at locations with a traffic signal involved 1,644 vehicles, while those at stop signs involved 524 vehicles. A small number of incidents occurred at locations with yield signs (44) or roundabouts (15).

Analysis of driver actions shows that 'Following too Close / ACDA' was the most cited contributing factor, attributed to 878 vehicles. The next most common factors were 'Failure to Yield,' cited for 630 vehicles, and 'Drove off Road,' noted for 610 vehicles. These three factors represent the primary driver errors leading to collisions in the dataset.

Crashes involving commercial trucks represented a notable subset of total incidents. In 2021, there were 246 crashes involving commercial vehicles, accounting for 6.1% of all crashes. Of these, 164 involved a semi-tractor trailer, while the remaining 82 involved other types of commercial vehicles.

A total of 104 crashes involved motorcyclists, pedestrians, or bicyclists. Motorcyclists were the largest group, involved in 65 crashes. Combined, vulnerable road users, defined as pedestrians and bicyclists, were involved in 39 crashes, with 24 involving pedestrians and 15 involving bicyclists.

Crashes involving animals accounted for 439 incidents, representing 10.8% of all crashes in Trumbull County. The vast majority of these were strikes with deer, which were involved in 414 crashes. An additional 25 crashes involved other, unspecified types of animals.

Impairment was a factor in 319 crashes, or 7.9% of the total. Alcohol was the most common form of impairment, cited in 232 incidents. Drug impairment was noted in 61 crashes, and a combination of alcohol and drugs was a factor in 26 crashes.

While most drivers were recorded as 'Apparently Normal,' several hundred were noted to have a specific condition affecting their driving. A total of 257 drivers were identified as being under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol. Additionally, 56 drivers had a physical impairment, and 52 were reported to have fallen asleep, fainted, or been fatigued.

Among drivers for whom a distraction was noted, the most common factor was 'Other distraction inside the vehicle,' with 133 instances. This was followed by 'Other distraction outside the vehicle' with 95 instances. Manually operating an electronic communication device like a phone was cited for 28 drivers, and another 26 were engaged in other activities with an electronic device.

The geometry of the road was a factor in a significant number of crashes. Approximately 18.0% of crashes (733) occurred on a grade, either straight or curved. Additionally, 356 crashes, or 8.8% of the total, took place on a curve, highlighting the increased risk associated with non-level and non-straight road segments.

The geographic distribution of crashes across Trumbull County is uneven, with a few municipalities accounting for a large share of incidents. The City of Warren saw the most crashes with 932, representing 23.0% of the county's total. The townships of Howland (463 crashes) and Liberty (320 crashes), along with the city of Niles (382 crashes), also recorded high volumes of traffic incidents.

The most common action for vehicles immediately prior to a crash was proceeding 'Straight Ahead,' which was the case for 3,961 of the 6,817 vehicles involved. The second most frequent pre-crash action was 'Slowing or Stopped In Traffic,' recorded for 976 vehicles. 'Making Left Turn' was the third most common action, noted for 593 vehicles.

Single-vehicle crashes were the most common type of incident, with 1,640 crashes (40.4%) classified as 'Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport'. Among multi-vehicle crashes, angle collisions were the most frequent, accounting for 925 incidents (22.8%), closely followed by rear-end collisions with 909 incidents (22.4%).

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 3,460 of the 6,817 vehicles (50.7%). Sport Utility Vehicles were the second most frequent, with 1,641 vehicles (24.1%), followed by pickup trucks with 781 vehicles (11.4%). Commercial vehicles, including semi-tractors and other trucks, were involved in 367 crashes.

Of the 8,823 individuals involved in crashes, the vast majority were either drivers or vehicle occupants. Drivers constituted 74.6% of the total (6,581 people), while passengers (occupants) made up 25.1% (2,216 people). A small fraction, 26 individuals or 0.3%, were pedestrians.

Among the 8,823 people involved in crashes, 1,618 sustained some level of injury or were fatally wounded. This includes 29 fatalities (0.3% of all persons) and 1,589 individuals with injuries ranging from serious to possible (18.0% of all persons). The majority of individuals, 7,110 people, were not injured.

A large majority of vehicle occupants, 7,141 individuals, were recorded as using a shoulder and lap belt. However, 463 people, representing 5.2% of all crash participants, were documented as using no safety equipment at all. An additional 42 individuals used only a lap belt, and 84 used only a shoulder belt.

The most common type of crash involved two vehicles, accounting for 2,449 incidents, or 60.3% of the total. Single-vehicle crashes were also very common, with 1,464 incidents making up 36.1% of all crashes. Multi-vehicle crashes involving three or more vehicles were less frequent, totaling 146 incidents.