CINCINNATI — Based on fatal crash data compiled between 2018 and 2022, Hamilton County has the third-highest rate of fatal crashes in that timeframe, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
In those four years, 294 crashes in Hamilton County resulted in a fatality, OSHP said. That means out of the 5,613 fatal crashes that happened in the entire state in that same time, roughly 5.24% of those fatal crashes happened within the borders of Hamilton County.
Franklin and Cuyahoga Counties outpaced Cincinnati considerably, though both Columbus and Cleveland have larger populations than Cincinnati by comparison. Between 2018 and 2022, Franklin County led the state in fatal crashes, with 538, or 9.58% of the state's crash-related fatalities. Cuyahoga County saw 445 fatal crashes, making up 7.93% of the statewide fatalities.
Altogether the five counties with the highest amount of fatal crashes from 2018 to 2022 were, in order of highest amount, Franklin, Cuyahoga, Hamilton, Montgomery and Lucas counties; those five counties accounted for 31% of all fatal crashes statewide, OSHP said.
During the five-year period assessed by OSHP, more than one in five fatal crashes were a result of a person driving off the roadway. Unsafe speed, driving left of the center line, failure to yield the right-of-way, following too closely and running a stop sign were the next top contributing factors, OSHP said.
In their press release, OSHP mentioned that Senate Bill 288, signed by Governor Mike DeWine in January, will ban the use of electronic devices while driving when it goes into effect in April — though OSHP did not include data on how many fatal crashes could be attributed to distracted driving in the release.
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