If you’re like most drivers in Ohio, then you’ve seen safety initiative from local, state, and federal governments, as well as nonprofit organizations, all aimed at promoting driver safety. Although efforts to curtail dangerous driving are admirable, the sad reality is that they haven’t prevented as many injurious and fatal accidents as hoped. In fact, some studies show that there are as many as 6 million car accidents each year, resulting in approximately 3 million injuries each year and 90 deaths a day.
What about Ohio’s safety record?
Unfortunately, Ohio doesn’t fare much better. Last year alone saw nearly 270,000 accidents statewide, and so far this year the state has already accumulated more than 100,000 crashes. A lot of these accidents are severe, too, with 2021 seeing more than 1,200 traffic fatalities and more than 6,000 serious injuries. The year 2022 has already accumulated more than 400 traffic deaths and more than 2,000 serious injuries.
Many of these wrecks, of course, occur in more urban counties, but even those counties that are rural see their fair share of serious accidents.
Where are these accidents occurring?
According to state statistics, the majority of these wrecks are occurring on interstates and highways. Here are the routes with the most wrecks:
- IR-75, with nearly 30,000 wrecks
- IR-71, with more than 25,000 accidents
- US-20, with almost 17,000 crashes
- US-42, with nearly 16,000 wrecks
- IR-70, with more than 15,000 accidents
- US-23, with more than 14,000 crashes
Other roadways that accumulated a significant number of wrecks include IR-77, IR-90, and US-40. Some state roads made the list, too, including State Road 4 and State Road 2, each with more than 10,000 crashes reported.
What causes these accidents?
There’s no one contributing factor to the serious and fatal accidents that are seen on these roadways. Alcohol plays a factor in some of them, but so does distracted driving, speeding, and failures to stop and yield. Even the nature of the road itself can prove treacherous depending on its turns and any existing blind spots. More heavily traveled areas, such as metropolitan interstates, may decrease the amount of time that drivers have to respond, too, which can increase the risk of being involved in an accident on these roads.
What does this mean for you?
These statistics should help you see that accidents are more common across our state than many people realize. So, don’t be lulled into a false sense of security by the fact that you’re a safe driver and public safety initiatives have raised awareness of the dangers of drunk and distracted driving. Stay alert at all times when behind the wheel, and do your best to be as defensive as possible, giving yourself plenty of room to make evasive maneuvers if you need to.
What if you’ve already been injured in a wreck?
If you’ve already been injured in a crash caused by someone else’s negligence, then you should start considering whether legal action is in your best interests. If you’re able to settle one of these claims or prevail at trial, then you could recover the compensation that you need to pay for your medical care, recoup your lost wages, and ease your pain and suffering.
Although these personal injury cases may seem easy to prove, they’re often complicated by legal technicalities and disputed facts. That’s why you shouldn’t leave your case to chance. Instead, you may want to carefully consider having a legal advocate on your side who can help you develop the legal arguments that you need to position yourself for success.