10 Car Accident Facts Ohio Drivers Should Know

Posted by: Kisling, Nestico & Redick, LLC

Car accidents are one of the leading causes of injury and injury-related death in the United States. In Ohio, the dangers of car accidents are equally troubling. For some facts about car accidents that you may not know, check out the following list. Also, check out our previous blog about motorcycle accident facts.

Fact #1: Traffic Accidents are a Top Killer

In 2013, the state of Ohio recorded 269,079 total traffic crashes. Of those, the total number of traffic deaths in 2013 was 990, according to the Ohio Department of Public Safety. According to the Ohio Department of Health, unintentional accidents (like car accidents) were one of the top five leading causes of death in the state in 2010. Additionally, one person was injured every 5.2 minutes in a car accident in Ohio in 2013.

Fact #2: Car Accidents are Usually Caused by Preventable Motorist Error

Sadly, most car accidents are preventable. The Ohio Department of Public Safety has analyzed a probable cause of crashes recorded in 2013. Of the 269,079 recorded accidents, 233,437 of them were caused by motorist error.

Fact #3: Following Too Closely is a Top Cause of Accidents

In 2013, one driver following another car too closely in the state of Ohio caused 67,050 accidents. Following another vehicle too closely accounted for 48,307 property damage accidents and 58 total fatal accidents.

Fact #4: Driving at an Unsafe Speed Was a Top Factor in Fatal Accidents

In 2013, driving at an unsafe speed accounted for 13.1 percent of all fatal accident, second only to failure to control a vehicle, which claimed 18.1 percent of all lives lost in traffic accidents.

Fact #5: Weather isn’t the Biggest Factor in Accident Prevalence

While a lot of people might assume that more accidents probably occur on rainy or snowy days, the majority of accidents – 140,935 of them – occurred when the skies were clear. 75,440 accidents occurred when the conditions were cloudy, 26,643 during rain, 19,502 during snow, and only 1,656 when there was sleet or freezing rain.

Fact #6: Driving on Fridays Proves to be Most Dangerous

In Ohio in 2013, the highest number of injuries from accidents reported throughout the year happened on Fridays. Injuries from car accidents on Fridays accounted for 109,114 of all injuries, closely followed by 94,603 injuries on Thursdays, and 89,392 reported injuries on Tuesdays.

Fact #7: May Most Menacing Month

The highest number of fatalities and injuries per month occurred in May. The month of May saw 9,283 fatalities or injuries resulting from traffic accidents, whereas February had the fewest fatalities and injuries to occur, with 7,324 incidents reported. While May had the highest number of accidents and injuries, December had the most reported crashes, with 26,617 accidents recorded in the month.

Fact #8: Male Drivers at Higher Risk of Accident

There was a difference in the number of male drivers involved in traffic accidents compared to their female counterparts. Out of 440,595 total drivers involved in accidents in Ohio in 2013, 239,741 of them were male, while 190,385 of them were female. The gender of the remaining 10,469 drivers was unknown.

Fact #9: Driving Under the Influence is a Problem

This is one of the facts about car accidents that probably doesn’t surprise many people, but it’s important to mention it nonetheless. Alcohol-impaired drivers were involved in 4.47 percent of all crashes, and 30.30 percent – or nearly one third – of all fatalities in Ohio in 2013. Of all alcohol-impaired drivers involved in an accident, 71.5 percent of them were males.

Fact #10: Serious Injuries are Common

There were 990 traffic fatalities in 2013 in Ohio, and many more accidents that resulted in injuries. In fact, there was a total of 100,148 reported non-fatal injuries. Of those, 9,232 of them were severe and incapacitating injuries.

Do You Believe You Should File a Personal Injury Claim?

The KNR law blog contains, even more, facts about car accidents, car accident claims, and other personal injury law topics. Check it out to learn more about car accidents and pursuing personal injury actions. We hope you never need to, but contact us if you’re ever in need of legal assistance:1-800-HURT-NOW.