Know Your Roads: Franklin County and Columbus Car Accident Statistics

No matter where it happens, a car accident can result in serious, even fatal injuries. The Columbus car accident statistics are no exception. According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, in 2018, there were over 650 traffic fatalities in Franklin County. Even if you are fortunate enough to survive a serious car accident in Ohio, as the victim of a vehicle crash, you will likely face challenges as you try to recover, like physical pain, high medical bills, lost wages, and emotional distress.

As a top-rated personal injury law firm, at Kisling, Nestico & Redick, we want to help. The first step is understanding that you have certain legal rights if you are injured in a car accident due to the actions of another. The second is to reach out to a Columbus car accident lawyer with Kisling, Nestico & Redick right away. Our skilled legal team thoroughly understands the ins and outs of Ohio personal injury law, and we can help secure compensation for your losses.

For a free, no-risk consultation, call KNR today at 614-487-8669 or contact us online.

Franklin County Car Crash Statistics

According to the Ohio Department of Public Safety, in 2016, there were over 35,800 vehicle crashes in Franklin County. Of these, almost 10,000 resulted in injuries, and 87 were fatal. However, the number of crashes doesn’t tell the full story because there were multiple casualties in many incidents. In total, 13,179 victims were injured, and 93 people were killed in these collisions.

The statistics show that the total number of accidents decreased in 2017, falling to 35,786. Still, the figures aren’t very promising. Though fatal crashes dropped to 85, there were still 88 deaths. Plus, 13,290 people were hurt in a total of 9,436 injury-causing accidents. To put these figures into perspective, that means 26.4%of all crashes cause bodily harm.

In 2018, there were 84 fatal accidents in Franklin County. Almost 86% occurred in urban areas, especially around Downtown Columbus where I-70, I-71, and I-670 converge. The Bexley and Whitehall neighborhoods just south of East Main Street are particularly dangerous.

Columbus Car Accident Statistics

Columbus is the county seat of Franklin County, the state capital, and the most populous city in Ohio. Therefore, it’s important to have a look at car crash statistics within the city as compared to the surrounding region.

• More than two-thirds of all fatal and injury-causing accidents in Franklin County occur in Columbus.
• Just over 26 % of all Franklin County crashes involving injuries happen in Columbus, and the number of victims is around 9,000 every year.
• As with injury-causing accidents, fatal collisions are more likely to occur within the Columbus city limits. From 2016-2018, approximately 62% of deadly crashes were in the municipal area.

The most dangerous intersections and roadways in Columbus include:

• The State Route 3/Westerville Road Corridor, which is extremely congested during evening rush hour;
• Northbound I-71 in Downtown Columbus where traffic merging from eastbound I-671 tends to back up with commuters heading home around 4 pm;
• Dublin Granville Road and Maple Canyon Drive, near the busy Columbus Square Shopping Center;
• Karl Road at Morse Road, just east of the I-71 interchange;
• Cleveland Avenue and Innis Road in Northeast Columbus; and,
• Hilliard Rome Road and Renner Road, another busy commercial area that encompasses several shopping centers.

Common Causes of Auto Accidents in Columbus and Franklin County

The Ohio Department of Public Safety also found the primary causes of many accidents were:

• Alcohol-Related Car Crashes: In 2016, there were over 1,300 alcohol-related crashes in Franklin County, which resulted in 24 fatal crashes and almost 500 injury crashes. The number of fatal drunk driving collisions dipped to 16 in 2017, representing 18.8% of all deadly accidents. The statistics for 2018 are somewhat shocking, as 26 out of 84 collisions were OVI-related. That means that drunk driving was a factor in almost 31% of all fatal accidents that year.
• Deer Collisions: In the same year, a total of 285 vehicle accidents resulted from deer collisions. The peak months of deer accidents were October and November with 49 deer crashes in October and 75 in November.
• Alcohol-Related Motorcycle Accidents: There were 19 motorcycle accidents caused by alcohol in 2016. Six of these crashes were fatal.

Additional Franklin County car accident statistics reveal other factors that contribute to fatal and injury-causing accidents.

• A driver’s failure to control the vehicle contributes to around 18 % of fatal crashes, making this motorist error a top cause of deadly collisions. However, the same mistake ranks third in accidents involving injuries, at 16 %.
• The number one factor behind injury-causing crashes is following too closely. On average, “tailgating” is to blame in 29 % of these incidents.
• Though speeding does contribute to collisions, you may be surprised to learn how it’s a factor. On the one hand, just 1.5 % of all fatal accidents involve traveling in excess of the posted limit. However, driving at an unsafe speed is a different matter. Regardless of what the speed limit sign says, traveling too fast for conditions is dangerous and contributes to 10.7 % of deadly crashes.

One particularly troubling source of data is distracted driving. The statistics on car accidents in Franklin County reveal that distracted driving contributed to around 28 % of fatal collisions from 2016-2018. It was also a factor in more than one-third of all crashes that caused serious injuries. Use of a phone to talk, text, or email is the most common form of distracted driving, but other activities can create hazards.

• Interacting with a GPS or other navigation device;
• Operating the radio or music system;
• Grooming and applying makeup;
• Eating or drinking; and,
• Conversing with others in the vehicle.

What to Do After a Columbus Car Accident

The aftermath of a vehicle accident can be devastating and complicated for all involved. A lot will be going on, but if you suffered an injury because of another’s recklessness, you should be conscious of your legal options and of what to do immediately after a car accident in Franklin County. By protecting yourself and ensuring things are properly documented, you can strengthen your claim to be compensated.

Seek Medical Attention

After an auto accident, your first step should be to get to safety and ensure that you and the others involved receive medical help. Generally, this depends upon the nature and severity of your injuries. If you’re seriously hurt, you need to head to the emergency room immediately. Head injuries, excessive bleeding, trauma to internal organs, major bone fractures, and related injuries may require surgery or other care that only an ER can provide. In Columbus, your options include:

• Riverside Methodist Hospital;
• Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center;
• OhioHealth Westerville Medical Campus; and,
• Mount Carmel St. Anne’s.

In other parts of Franklin County, you may visit OhioHealth Emergency Care in Obetz, Hillard, or Westerville, OH.

When your injuries are less severe, you may consider visiting an urgent care center. These facilities are intended for same-day treatment of injuries that aren’t life-threatening. Staff at an urgent care center are trained and well-equipped to handle minor bone fractures, cuts, bruises, whiplash, and related injuries. Depending on your location in Franklin County, you may head to ExpressMed Urgent Care, Worthington Urgent Care Facility, or other facilities within the OhioHealth network.

Wherever you receive care, you should save all medical documents since they can later serve as evidence in your claim.

Other Important Tasks: Additional tips on what to do after a car accident include:

• Take pictures and videos of the crash scene. You should try to document as much as you can from the scene of the accident. By having substantial proof of the damage, you are more likely to receive the compensation you deserve.
• File an accident report. Filing an accident report can significantly help your case since police officers can be important in establishing liability.
• Get the contact information of any witnesses. Any witnesses that saw the accident can also help prove liability and help secure what you need.
• Contact a Columbus car accident lawyer. Since the claims process can be challenging and insurance companies are often difficult to negotiate with, you should reach out to a Columbus car accident attorney for help as soon as possible.

Contact KNR After Sustaining a Columbus Vehicle Crash

If you’ve been injured in an automobile crash in Franklin County, it is in your best interest to contact the highly-experienced legal team at Kisling, Nestico & Redick. Our Columbus car accident lawyers can evaluate your case and will handle the legal process from start to finish so that you can focus on your recovery.

To get started, call a Columbus personal injury lawyer at KNR today for a free, no-risk consultation. Call us at 614-487-8669 or complete our online form.