Common Causes of Car Crashes in Ohio

According to the Ohio Department of Public Safety, there have been, year to date, 218,981 crashes in the state of Ohio. Of those accidents, 35,885, unfortunately, resulted in injuries or death. When compared to 2019, it appears there has been a significant drop in crashes and injuries this year, but do not be fooled, this decrease is largely due to stay-at-home orders and businesses working from home, not because people have become safer drivers. 

During the height of nationwide lockdowns, March-May on average saw two-hundred fewer accidents a month. Having said that, two-hundred thousand accidents to date is still substantial. Additionally, even with the lockdown orders, there have been 1,161 who have died in a car accident this year, or 67 more than 2019, with the majority taking place in Franklin and Cuyahoga county, the two most populous counties in the state.

Unsurprisingly, alcohol was the single largest contributing factor to fatal accidents year over year. 28% of all fatalities and 4.2% of all crashes involved alcohol-impaired drivers. While alcohol was one of the largest contributors to fatalities, speeding was one of the largest contributors to wrecks across the state, with 26,300 incidents related. Below are the next top four causes of car crashes in Ohio:

Failure to Yield – The failure to yield is defined as a driver not yielding or stopping for a vehicle or pedestrian that has the right of way. These accidents can often be deadly and are normally the reason for a car being “t-boned”. 28,800 accidents have been caused by people failing to give the right of way.

Commercial Related – A commercial related accident describes an accident that involves someone carrying goods or a fare-paying persons. These accidents commonly involve 18 wheelers and can often be deadly. Over 12,500 accidents this year can be categorized as commercially related. 

Operating a Vehicle while Impaired (OVI) – When people think of impaired driving they may immediately think of drunk drivers. Few people remember that driving on certain over-the-counter medications, such as Benadryl, can actually cause you to become impaired, in addition to other drugs like marijuana. With around 11,500 accidents attributed to impairment, as the legalization of mentally impairing drugs continue, we can expect to see this number rise.

Deer-Related – 15,375 accidents this year are directly related to deer. Did you know that annually deer cause over one billion dollars in vehicle damage? While not all accidents with deer can be avoided, drowsiness, or distracted driving sometimes leads to slow response time and contribute to these accidents.

Contact the Experienced Car Wreck Lawyers at Rinehardt Injury Attorneys 

One person is injured every six minutes in Ohio due to a car accident. If you or a loved one were involved in an accident and are unsure what to do next, we recently wrote a blog answering questions related to what you should do after being involved in an accident. While our offices are located in Mansfield and Columbus, we proudly represent all of Ohio, so if you’re in need of representation or have any questions please contact us today.