Car Crash Fatality Statistics – Ohio
Even with improvements to transportation legislation and regular updates of safety regulations issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the number of traffic fatalities in Ohio has climbed year on year since 2013.
The State Traffic Safety Information System used by the NHTSA reports data on car crashes from 2006 through to 2015. In 2015, Ohio reported a total of 1,110 fatalities, with 745 of those being car occupants. Nearly 55 percent of these fatalities occurred on rural roads.
Analysis of Ohio Fatality Statistics
The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) is responsible for maintaining statistics on car crashes in the state and reports these to the NHTSA. Records of crash reports and incident photographs are kept for five years.
Statistics reported by the OSHP show that the total number of traffic fatalities increased to 1,133 in 2016. Of these, 974 were motor vehicle deaths. During these crashes, 140 pedestrians were killed.
Of concern from a safety, aspect is the number of people killed when not wearing seat belts. The statistics show that over 44 percent of fatalities occurred with unbelted occupants.
The OSHP reports more than 37 percent of fatal crashes in 2016 were related to intoxication. Ohio reports this particular statistic as “Operating a Vehicle while under the Influence” (OVI), which is the same as the DUI (Driving Under the Influence) nomenclature used by many other states.
One hundred and forty pedestrians were killed in car-related crashes in 2016. 93 people died in accidents involving heavy trucks. The Ohio Department of Public Safety also reports statistics on crash fatalities. Their report for 2016 breaks down these statistics to give more meaning and impact to the numbers. They calculated that:
- Almost three fatal crashes were reported every day
- 3 people died in motor vehicle crashes each day
- One person was killed every 8 hours
Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) Statistics
The HDLI is associated with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The institute draws its data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) managed by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The HDLI reports statistics on fatality rates per capita in all fifty states. In 2015, Ohio recorded 9.6 deaths per 100,000 of the state population. The cumulative figure for the nation overall was 10.9 in 2015, showing Ohio to be better than the average. Their statistics also confirm that car occupants comprised 44 percent of deaths.
Ohio Year-to-date Statistics for 2017
The OSHP regularly updates its statistics on vehicle accidents and traffic enforcement. For the year to date, there have been 545 confirmed fatalities. This represents a marginal improvement over the 588 deaths reported during the same period in 2016.
The OSHP also includes a map showing the site of all fatalities. This indicates that the highest number of fatalities occurred in Hamilton, Franklin, Wood, Lucas, and Cuyahoga counties.