Over three years, 3,189 car crashes in Ohio resulted in fatalities. From 2018–2020, MoneyGeek found several factors involved in these accidents, including drunk driving, speeding and distracted driving. The study examined accidents on 1,940 roads out of the 262,492 miles of road in the state and broke down crash statistics by county.

Key Findings

  • I-71 from Exit 110B and Exit 116 is the deadliest stretch of road in Ohio. Columbus — the city where this road is located — is home to five of the ten deadliest roads in the state.

  • 32.3% of fatal accidents in Ohio involved drunk driving while speeding contributed to 27.4% of accidents.

  • Distracted driving was involved in 5.1% of accidents. Compared to other states, Ohio’s numbers in this category are fairly low. A study conducted by MoneyGeek’s ranked them better than 69% of states for distracted driving rates.

  • The month of August had the most fatal accidents (345), followed by July (10.6%) and September (10.2%).

  • Franklin had more deadly accidents than any other county. Cuyahoga and Hamilton County had the next two highest numbers of fatal crashes.

10 Deadliest Road Stretches in Ohio


  • DEADLIEST ROAD IN OHIO
    I-71 from Exit 110B to Exit 116
    Columbus
    I-71 from Exit 110B to Exit 116
    • Fatal Accidents:11
    • fatalities:15
    • Crashes Per Mile:2.2
    • distance:5.0 miles
  • US-40 Broad Street from Dana Avenue to Nationwide Boulevard
    Columbus
    US-40 Broad Street from Dana Avenue to Nationwide Boulevard
    • Fatal Accidents:9
    • fatalities:10
    • Crashes Per Mile:2.1
    • distance:4.3 miles
  • I-75 from Exit 21 to Exit 14
    Sharonville | West Chester
    I-75 from Exit 21 to Exit 14
    • Fatal Accidents:7
    • fatalities:8
    • Crashes Per Mile:1.6
    • distance:4.4 miles
  • Outerbelt S Freeway from Exit 21 to Exit 16
    Cleveland | Valley View | Independence
    Outerbelt S Freeway from Exit 21 to Exit 16
    • Fatal Accidents:7
    • fatalities:8
    • Crashes Per Mile:1.5
    • distance:4.7 miles
  • I-75 from Exit 4 to Exit 10A
    Cincinnati | Saint Bernard
    I-75 from Exit 4 to Exit 10A
    • Fatal Accidents:7
    • fatalities:7
    • Crashes Per Mile:1.8
    • distance:3.8 miles
  • Jack Nicklaus Freeway from Exit 43A to Exit 35
    Columbus | Gahanna
    Jack Nicklaus Freeway from Exit 43A to Exit 35
    • Fatal Accidents:7
    • fatalities:7
    • Crashes Per Mile:1.4
    • distance:5.0 miles
  • I-75 from Exit 50B to Exit 47
    West Carrollton | Moraine
    I-75 from Exit 50B to Exit 47
    • Fatal Accidents:6
    • fatalities:10
    • Crashes Per Mile:2.0
    • distance:3.0 miles
  • Jack Nicklaus Freeway from Exit 52 to Exit 2
    Columbus
    Jack Nicklaus Freeway from Exit 52 to Exit 2
    • Fatal Accidents:6
    • fatalities:7
    • Crashes Per Mile:1.4
    • distance:4.3 miles
  • Lakeland Freeway from Exit 179 to Exit 183
    Cleveland | Euclid | Bratenahl
    Lakeland Freeway from Exit 179 to Exit 183
    • Fatal Accidents:6
    • fatalities:7
    • Crashes Per Mile:1.3
    • distance:4.6 miles
  • Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway from Exit 105B to Exit 110B
    Columbus
    Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway from Exit 105B to Exit 110B
    • Fatal Accidents:6
    • fatalities:6
    • Crashes Per Mile:1.5
    • distance:4.1 miles

Drunk Driving Involved in 32.3% of Fatal Accidents

Of the 3,189 fatal accidents that occurred in Ohio between 2018 and 2020, 32.3% were drunk driving-related. In most states, drunk driving contributes more to fatal car crashes than other factors like distracted driving, speeding and winter conditions. MoneyGeek’s study shows Ohio follows a similar pattern.

Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) measures the percent of alcohol in a person’s bloodstream at a given time. In Ohio, a BAC of 0.8% makes you legally intoxicated, but consuming even a small amount of alcohol can impair your driving abilities.

Drunk driving also causes other repercussions outside of a fatality. The legal costs of drunk driving in Ohio are long-term and extensive, ranging from a license suspension to possible jail time.

If your license is suspended after a DUI conviction, you’ll need to file for SR-22 insurance in Ohio to have it reinstated. This status signals to car insurance providers that you’re a high-risk driver, leading to increased insurance rates. There may be some options available for relatively affordable insurance after a DUI, but these are almost certain to be more expensive than pre-DUI coverage.

Speeding Is a Factor in 27.4% of Fatal Crashes

Speeding was involved in 875 — or 27.4% — of all fatal crashes in Ohio from 2018 to 2020.

It’s no wonder — speeding presents numerous dangers, including losing control of your vehicle and difficulty making sudden stops, increasing the chances of severe injuries or fatalities.

Distracted Driving Contributed to 5.1% of Fatal Accidents

From 2018–2020, 164 fatal accidents involved distracted driving — that’s 5.1% of all fatal crashes in the state. While this is still a significant number of deadly accidents, MoneyGeek’s worst states for distracted driving study ranked Ohio 35th in the nation, meaning it had lower rates of distracted driving accidents than 69% of states.

August Had More Fatal Accidents Than Any Other Month

MoneyGeek found that most fatal accidents — 331 or 10.8% — from 2018 to 2020 occurred in August. July had the second-highest fatal crashes at 338, or 10.6% of all deadly accidents. September came in third with 325 (10.2%) deadly crashes.

Average Fatal Accidents by Month
Month
Fatal Accidents
Drunk Driving Related
Distracted Driving Related
Winter Conditions
Speeding Related
% of Total

January

204

61

12

23

47

6.4%

February

181

60

9

23

38

5.7%

March

236

79

20

13

66

7.4%

April

176

57

11

3

61

5.5%

May

277

100

9

0

82

8.7%

June

315

99

13

0

93

9.9%

July

338

106

25

0

84

10.6%

August

345

120

17

0

90

10.8%

September

325

104

16

0

83

10.2%

October

303

95

7

0

101

9.5%

November

244

71

12

17

73

7.7%

December

245

78

13

13

57

7.7%

Driving Safely Protects You, Others and Your Wallet

You can help keep Ohio’s roads safe by being a responsible driver. Safe driving practices don’t just allow you to contribute to society — they can also potentially save you hundreds of dollars per year in car insurance.

Regardless of your driving behaviors, car insurance is essential to protecting yourself financially in the event of an accident. If you cause an accident in Ohio, state insurance laws require you to cover the other driver’s bodily injury and property damage expenses. Carrying full coverage auto insurance protects you from those costs and provides coverage for damages to your own vehicle, person and passengers.

The average auto insurance policy in Ohio costs $803 per year. However, your premiums can vary depending on where you live in the state. For example, a car insurance policy in Toledo costs $837 annually. In comparison, auto coverage in Akron is $113 less. The average auto insurance plan in Columbus — Ohio’s most populated city — is $793 yearly.

These premiums may change depending on other factors such as your age, driving experience and driving record. Comparing quotes from various carriers can help you find the most affordable car insurance companies for you.

Fatal Accidents and Most Dangerous Roads: County Breakdown

Fatal crashes from Ohio’s top five counties accounted for 30.3% of all accidents resulting in fatalities — that’s 967 incidents. At 302, Franklin County contributes the most deadly crashes, with most of these happening on I-270. MoneyGeek’s analysis found that most fatal crashes in the county involved drunk driving or speeding — each being involved in 92 and 70 accidents, respectively.

Fatal Accidents and Contributing Factors By County
County
Fatal Accidents
Drunk Driving Related
Distracted Driving Related
Speeding Related
Most Deadly Road (Fatal Accidents)

Franklin

302

92

12

70

I-270 (27)

Cuyahoga

243

101

8

94

I-90 (14)

Hamilton

156

59

7

42

I-75 (14)

Montgomery

151

54

7

27

I-75 (11)

Lucas

115

37

6

23

I-475 (5)

Summit

109

40

5

39

I-77 (10)

Stark

98

36

5

18

US-62 (7)

Butler

71

20

2

12

SR-4 (4)

Licking

60

19

2

18

SR-37 (6)

Mahoning

55

16

1

7

I-680 (4)

Lorain

53

21

0

19

SR-58 (3)

Warren

51

13

6

11

SR-48 (5)

Clermont

50

15

3

16

I-275 (5)

Trumbull

49

18

4

9

I-80 (5)

Clark

47

16

5

11

I-70 (7)

Ashtabula

46

12

4

13

I-90 (4)

Fairfield

43

17

1

6

US-33 (5)

Wood

42

14

3

10

I-75 (5)

Delaware

41

14

4

6

US-23 (5)

Ross

41

4

2

9

US-35 (6)

Wayne

37

11

0

15

Cr-30A W Old Lincoln Way (2)

Greene

36

12

2

13

US-42 (4)

Muskingum

34

9

1

16

US-22 (3)

Lake

34

19

1

11

I-90 (4)

Portage

34

10

1

8

I-76 (3)

Scioto

34

8

0

11

SR-73 (4)

Miami

33

10

1

0

I-75 (4)

Sandusky

32

9

0

5

I-80 (5)

Geauga

31

8

0

9

SR-528 Madison Rd (4)

Tuscarawas

31

11

1

17

I-77 (6)

Pickaway

31

9

4

8

US-23 (5)

Hancock

30

4

3

12

Cr-18 (3)

Medina

29

10

3

7

US-224 (3)

Marion

29

10

1

6

SR-309 Harding Hwy (2)

Richland

28

5

3

7

I-71 (5)

Huron

27

8

6

7

SR-13 (3)

Logan

27

11

0

9

Cr-10 (3)

Allen

26

10

2

3

US-30 (4)

Shelby

26

7

4

4

I-75 (5)

Athens

26

6

0

9

US-33 (7)

Erie

26

7

0

5

SR-2 (4)

Preble

25

5

3

8

I-70 (5)

Knox

25

13

2

12

SR-3 (3)

Darke

24

9

1

3

SR-571 (4)

Seneca

22

5

1

9

SR-53 (3)

Belmont

21

6

0

8

I-70 (5)

Brown

21

4

0

8

US-68 (7)

Madison

20

6

1

7

SR-38 (2)

Fulton

20

5

2

3

US-20 (4)

Ashland

19

8

4

10

I-71 (2)

Pike

19

3

0

9

SR-220 (4)

Highland

19

6

0

6

US-50 (5)

Perry

18

6

0

8

SR-204 (4)

Adams

18

8

2

5

US-52 (4)

Mercer

18

4

2

4

US-33 (3)

Henry

18

4

0

2

US-6 (4)

Fayette

18

5

0

5

US-35 (4)

Clinton

18

5

1

5

I-71 (3)

Columbiana

18

7

0

3

SR-7 (3)

Lawrence

17

3

0

8

SR-93 (4)

Washington

17

7

0

7

SR-60 (3)

Union

17

3

0

5

US-33 (3)

Jackson

17

6

1

6

US-35 (3)

Ottawa

16

6

1

6

SR-2 (2)

Harrison

16

3

0

7

US-22 Cadiz Piedmont Rd (2)

Auglaize

16

0

0

2

US-33 (4)

Coshocton

15

9

1

7

SR-16 (4)

Hardin

15

4

2

4

SR-81 (2)

Meigs

15

2

1

6

SR-7 (4)

Van Wert

14

5

3

2

US-30 (4)

Williams

14

5

0

2

US-6 (3)

Champaign

13

1

2

4

US-36 (3)

Hocking

13

3

2

3

US-33 (4)

Gallia

13

5

2

7

SR-7 (2)

Carroll

12

7

1

4

SR-9 Kensington Rd (2)

Guernsey

12

5

0

7

I-70 (2)

Crawford

12

2

2

3

SR-19 (2)

Holmes

12

1

0

2

SR-39 (4)

Jefferson

12

5

1

4

US-22 (4)

Morrow

12

5

1

5

SR-314 (2)

Wyandot

11

3

1

3

US-23 (1)

Defiance

9

2

1

0

US-24 (2)

Monroe

9

3

0

5

SR-78 (4)

Noble

9

4

1

2

SR-78 (2)

Morgan

9

4

2

4

SR-329 (1)

Putnam

8

2

0

0

US-224 (1)

Vinton

5

1

0

2

US-50 (1)

Paulding

4

3

0

1

SR-49 (1)

Methodology

MoneyGeek analyzed fatality data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatal Accident Reporting System’s (FARS) database for 2018, 2019 and 2020. Currently, 2020 is the latest data available in the system.

About Doug Milnes, CFA


Doug Milnes, CFA headshot

Doug Milnes is the head of marketing and communications at MoneyGeek. He has spent more than a decade in corporate finance performing valuations for Duff and Phelps and financial planning and analysis for various companies including OpenTable. He holds a master’s degree in Predictive Analytics (Data Science) from Northwestern University and is a CFA charter holder. Doug geeks out on building financial and predictive models and using data to make informed decisions.


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