Know Ohio’s Roads: Car Accident Statistics in Montgomery County

Montgomery County is the fifth-most populous region in Ohio. With more than 559,000 residents, almost one-third of its residents live in the county seat at Dayton. Several major US interstates and state highways run through the area, providing access to the University of Dayton and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. In such a bustling part of Ohio, it’s no surprise that motor vehicle crashes are common. According to the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), there were 74 people killed and 392 victims seriously injured in collisions in 2018. Though the figures are down from the previous year, the car accident statistics in Montgomery County reveal several risks for motorists.

If you were hurt in an auto crash that wasn’t your fault, it is important to remember that you have rights under Ohio law. But, you must act quickly to preserve them. Contact the Dayton car accident lawyers at Kisling, Nestico & Redick now.

Call us at (937) 427-4048 or go online to schedule a no-cost case assessment. We’re happy to tell you more about your legal options and how you may be entitled to a financial recovery after a traffic-related collision.

Montgomery County Fatal Auto Collisions

To put the frequency of deadly car crashes into perspective, it’s helpful to review the recent ODOT statistics. As an overview, there are approximately 49 fatal motor vehicle collisions every year in Montgomery County. However, this only conveys the number of crashes, as the number of deaths is higher. On average, 56 people die every year in auto collisions.

Other notable statistics on car accidents involving at least one fatality include:

• Around one-third of all deadly traffic incidents involve Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated (OVI).
• Over 70%t occur on urban roadways like the busy interchange at I-75, US Route 35, and State Road 4. On a positive note, fatal accidents in city streets are on a downtrend, from 40 in 2016, to 36 in 2017 and 28 during 2018.
• Rural areas, such as I-70 running along the northern edge of Montgomery County, account for around 28.7% of crashes every year. The trends over recent years have ranged from 13 such incidents in 2016, up to 18 in 2017, then down to 11 in 2018. To date, there have been four fatal car accidents in rural locations in 2019.
• The top contributing cause for fatal accidents in Montgomery County is a driver’s failure to control the vehicle, at 17.9% of all deadly collisions. The next two factors behind these crashes are improper lane change at 14.8% and failure to yield at 11.3%.
• The most dangerous time of the year for deadly auto accidents is the period from June through August. More than 31% of all fatalities occur during these three months. Almost half of crashes involving at least one death happen over Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
• Every year, around 37% of all fatal car accidents in Montgomery County occur within the Dayton city limits.

Injury-Causing Car Accident Statistics in Montgomery County

Though victims who suffer non-fatal injuries in auto crashes are fortunate to have survived, the numbers are still shockingly high. As with the statistics on fatalities, you may find it useful to see the big picture on injury-causing accidents followed by a breakdown that gives them meaning.

Totals: On average, there are around 3,885 accidents in Montgomery County every year that cause injuries to at least one person. This represents 28.9% of the total collisions, which is 13,425. The actual number of people hurt in these crashes is higher, since many result in injuries to more than one victim. Every year, more than 5,600 individuals suffer injuries ranging from minor to severe.

In Dayton, approximately 31. 5%of all accidents result in bodily harm to one or more victims. This calculation is based upon an annual average of 1,430 injury-causing accidents, derived from a total of 4,530 crashes.

Crashes Causing Serious Injuries

The number of people seriously injured in motor vehicle crashes has been on the decline over the last few years. There were 463 victims in 2016, followed by 408 in 2017 and 392 in 2018. The highest figure over the last decade was in 2010, when 523 people suffered serious injuries. Note that there’s a very specific definition of “serious” injuries according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association.

Bodily harm is considered serious when it’s not fatal and results in:

• Severe cuts that expose underlying tissues, organs, or muscle;
• Lacerations that lead to excessive bleeding;
• Unconsciousness;
• Broken bones in the extremities, not including minor bones;
• Injuries to the skull, chest, or torso that go beyond bruising or minor cuts;
• Second- or third-degree burns over more than 10 percent of the victim’s body; and,
• Paralysis.

Contributing Factors in Crashes: In most years, following too closely is listed as the primary contributing cause of accidents involving injuries. This practice, known as “tailgating,” leads to 29.4% of all crashes that result in bodily harm. Other factors include a driver’s failure to yield and failure to control the vehicle.

However, when looking at crashes that cause serious injuries, distracted driving tops the list. In 36.3% of all such collisions occurring from 2016-2018, distracted driving was a contributing factor. It’s important to note that, even though it’s most commonly associated with texting, distracted driving encompasses many other risky activities. Examples include:

• Talking on the phone;
• Surfing the internet;
• Posting to social media;
• Capturing images or video;
• Grooming;
• Eating and drinking; and,
• Many other activities that take the driver’s attention away from operating the vehicle.

Dangerous Roadways in Dayton and Montgomery County

Though there are risks present on any roadway throughout Montgomery County, there are some in the region and within the Dayton city limits that tend to be more dangerous than others. The Downtown area can be hazardous during morning and evening rush, especially around the Dayton Convention Center at East 5th Street and South Jefferson Street. Plus, Interstate 75 at West 1st Street can get backed up with traffic exiting and entering.

State Road 48, which runs north-south through Dayton, is extremely congested in the morning as students head to classes at University of Dayton. There are also accidents as traffic backs up while waiting to enter State Route 35 and Interstate 75.

Other dangerous intersections include:

• State Road 741/Springboro Pike at County Road 78/Alexandersville-Bellbrook Pike;
• State Road 725/Miamisburg-Centerville Road at County Road 175/Yankee Pike;
• State Road 725/Miamisburg-Centerville Road at Town Road 3593/Washington Village Drive; and,
• State Road 48/Fall Hills Avenue at County Road 84/Whipp Road.

What To Do After a Montgomery County Auto Accident

Your first priority, if you’ve been injured in a car collision, is to seek proper medical care depending on how badly you were hurt. If you’re suffering life-threatening injuries or any of the serious injuries described above, head to the emergency room right away.

Your options in Montgomery County include:

• Miami Valley Hospital Emergency Center;
• Kettering Medical Center Emergency Room;
• Grandview Medical Center Emergency Department; and,
• Kindred Hospital Dayton.

For less severe injuries that require same-day treatment, head to a local urgent care center. These facilities can perform minor procedures and treat injuries that aren’t life-threatening.

Depending on where the auto accident occurred, you might consider:

• Doctors’ Urgent Care Office;
• Access MD Urgent Care;
• Premier Health Urgent Care; and,
• Concentra Urgent Care.

Seeking proper medical care is essential to treat your injuries, but it’s also important because it could affect your right to compensation in a car collision claim. If you don’t visit the ER, an urgent care center, or your own doctor right away, the responsible driver’s insurance company may contest the nature of your injuries. Your claim may be denied in its entirety because the allegation is that you weren’t truly hurt.

There are many other tasks you should handle to preserve your auto crash claim, such as:

• Exchange contact and insurance information with all drivers, but avoid making statements regarding the incident;
• Use your cell phone to take pictures of all property damage to all vehicles, your injuries, and the scene of the collision;
• Talk to any witnesses, such as pedestrians, bicyclists, other motorists, and bystanders; and,
• Write down detailed notes about how the accident happened.

Another critical step after a car accident is to reach out to a skilled personal injury attorney in Dayton, OH to discuss your case. Your lawyer can take care of other essential tasks to ensure you get the compensation you deserve as the victim of a crash, starting with filing an insurance claim. If you can prove that the other driver was negligent, you may be entitled to recover monetary damages for your losses.

Contact Our Attorneys to Learn About Your Rights

The car accident statistics in Montgomery County are indeed disturbing, but you do have legal remedies if you were injured or lost a loved one in a crash. Our lawyers at Kisling, Nestico & Redick can explain your options in more detail after reviewing your case, so please contact us to set up a free consultation.

If you’ve been in a car accident in Dayton you can reach our office by calling (937) 427-4048 today or contact us online to request an appointment online.