CLEVELAND — A new initiative by the Ohio Traffic Safety Office, with support of the Ohio State Highway Patrol and Gov. Mike DeWine, has compiled statewide crash data in the hopes of educating young people getting behind the wheel for the first time.
The end result is a series of informational bulletins or pamphlets — one for each of Ohio's 88 counties — detailing the causes and number of crashes in each county, when they're happening, and where. Judy Converse, PIO with the Ohio Traffic Safety Office, says putting this information out there can help these young drivers learn the dangers on the road and help them drive more safely.
"Data shows that drivers under the age of 24 are involved in about 30% of crashes in Ohio," Converse told 3News. "We thought that was a really high number, so we were really thinking, 'What can we do to help drivers who don't have as much experience?'"
The information for the pamphlets is pulled from data complied by the Ohio State Highway Patrol dashboard. According to Converse, these documents are intended for young drivers as well as driving instructors and parents.
"We're really hoping that by putting some information out there about the leading, top causes of crashes, drivers can learn to be a little bit more defensive and kind of learn more about the hazards on the road," Converse said, "and hopefully take less risks when they're out there driving."
View all 88 datasheets below:
When looking at factors that contribute to crashes involving teen drivers, OSHP referenced speed, failure to yield, and distracted driving. However, these factors are not exclusive to young drivers.
"Generally speaking, failure to yield, speed, and assured clear distance — which is following distance — tend to be some of our highest crash-causing violations," Sgt. Bridget Matt with the Ohio State Highway Patrol stated.
According to OSHP data, in Cuyahoga County, there were about 30,700 crashes in 2021. Numbers compiled by the Ohio Traffic Safety Office show 121 of those crashes were fatal, and nearly 9,000 of those incidents involved a young driver, aged 15-24.
In Summit County, there were just shy of 14,000 crashes last year, with 42 being fatal and about 4,500 tied to drivers aged 15-24.
Additionally, looking at the days of the week when the most crashes occur for counties in Northeast Ohio, the most frequently appearing day is Friday, which the Ohio State Highway Patrol attributes to more social and recreational driving.
In sharing this data in this format, officials hope drivers stay safe on the roads.
"Even one crash is too many in our eyes," Matt said. "We want to keep our roads as safe as possible for all of our drivers and motorists coming through our state."