541 CRASHES IN
OHIO, OH
2021

Motorists accounted for all 7 fatalities and the vast majority of injuries, with 143 motorists injured. There were no pedestrian or cyclist fatalities recorded. Three pedestrians were injured in crashes during this period, while no cyclists were reported as injured.

Crash frequency peaked on Fridays, with 94 incidents recorded. The single busiest hour for crashes was 6 a.m., which saw 45 collisions. Analysis of lighting conditions shows that while 259 crashes occurred in daylight, a slightly larger number, 279 crashes, happened in dark, dawn, or dusk conditions, with 183 of those occurring on unlighted roadways.

The majority of crashes, 431 out of 541 (79.7%), resulted in no injuries. The remaining 20.3% of incidents involved some level of injury or were fatal. There were 6 distinct fatal crashes recorded, which collectively resulted in 7 fatalities, indicating at least one crash involved multiple deaths.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 6 fatal crash events resulted in 7 persons killed.

Most crashes occurred in favorable conditions, with 331 (61.2%) in clear weather and 412 (76.2%) on dry road surfaces. However, a majority of crashes, 279 out of 541 (51.6%), took place in non-daylight hours. Adverse weather was a factor in a smaller number of incidents, including 36 crashes in rain and 27 in snow.

Among the 916 people involved in crashes, the 26-34 age group was the most represented, with 149 individuals. The most frequent vehicle makes involved in collisions were Chevrolet (129 vehicles), Ford (126 vehicles), and Dodge (60 vehicles).

The first harmful event for most crashes, 443 incidents, occurred on the roadway. A notable portion of crashes were run-off-road events, with 94 incidents having their first harmful event off the primary travel lanes. This includes 39 on the shoulder, 34 on the roadside, 16 outside the trafficway, and 5 in the median.

The vast majority of vehicles involved in crashes were at locations with no traffic control device present, accounting for 621 of the 730 vehicles where this was recorded. By comparison, 56 vehicles were involved in crashes at locations with a stop sign and 52 were at locations with a traffic signal.

Among driver actions cited as contributing to crashes, the most common was 'Drove off Road,' noted for 75 vehicles. This was followed by 'Failure to Yield' (42 vehicles), 'Following too Close / ACDA' (39 vehicles), and 'Improper Backing' (30 vehicles).

A total of 71 commercial trucks were involved in crashes during this period. Of these, the majority (63 vehicles) were semi-tractor trailers, while the remaining 8 were classified as other types of commercial vehicles.

Data shows 14 crashes involved motorcyclists, pedestrians, or bicyclists. Of these, 3 crashes involved vulnerable road users, specifically 2 pedestrians and 1 bicyclist. The remaining 11 crashes in this category involved motorcyclists.

Collisions with animals were a significant factor, accounting for 216 of the 541 total crashes (39.9%). The vast majority of these incidents, 207 crashes, involved deer, while 9 crashes involved other types of animals.

Impairment was a factor in 28 crashes, representing 5.2% of the total. Alcohol was suspected in 15 of these cases, drugs were suspected in 10 cases, and a combination of alcohol and drugs was suspected in 3 cases.

Among 701 drivers involved in crashes, 43 were recorded with a physical or mental condition other than 'Apparently Normal'. This included 16 drivers noted as being under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol, and 13 drivers who were reported as having fallen asleep, fainted, or been fatigued.

For the 701 drivers involved in crashes, a specific distraction was identified for 32 of them. The most frequently noted distraction was an unspecified issue inside the vehicle (15 drivers), followed by a distraction outside the vehicle (8 drivers). Manually operating, talking on, or another activity with an electronic device was cited for a total of 7 drivers.

The roadway was straight and level for 424 of the 541 crashes. However, roadway geometry played a role in some incidents, with 53 crashes (9.8%) occurring on a curve and 83 crashes (15.3%) occurring on a grade.

The geographic distribution of crashes was concentrated in a few key areas. The city of Upper Sandusky had the highest number with 129 crashes. This was followed by the townships of Crane (65 crashes), Pitt (59 crashes), and Salem (56 crashes).

The most common action for vehicles prior to a crash was driving straight ahead, which was the case for 496 of the 733 vehicles involved. Other frequent pre-crash actions included slowing or stopping in traffic (48 vehicles), backing (34 vehicles), and making a left turn (30 vehicles).

The predominant crash type was single-vehicle incidents, classified as 'Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport,' which accounted for 371 of 541 crashes (68.6%). For crashes involving multiple vehicles, angle collisions were the most common type with 62 incidents, followed by rear-end collisions with 42 incidents.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, with 285 units. Sport Utility Vehicles (171 units) and Pick up trucks (138 units) were the next most frequent. Commercial vehicles, including 69 semi-tractors and 10 single-unit trucks, were also involved in incidents.

Of the 916 individuals involved in crashes, the majority were drivers, accounting for 701 people (76.5%). Vehicle occupants (passengers) were the second-largest group with 212 individuals (23.1%), while 3 pedestrians were also involved.

Out of 916 people involved in crashes, 153 sustained an injury or were killed, representing 16.7% of all individuals. The data includes 7 fatalities, 40 serious injuries, 71 minor injuries, and 35 possible injuries. The remaining 757 individuals were not injured.

Among vehicle occupants for whom safety equipment use was recorded, 738 people were reported as using both a shoulder and lap belt. However, 46 individuals were documented as using no safety equipment, and an additional 32 used only a shoulder belt.

Single-vehicle crashes were the most frequent type, with 353 incidents making up 65.2% of the total. Two-vehicle crashes accounted for another 185 incidents (34.2%), while only 3 crashes involved three or more vehicles.