After dipping slightly in 2022, crash-related fatalities and fatal crashes in the Greater Akron area began climbing again in 2023. The latest three-year analysis released by the Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (AMATS) spanning the years 2021 through 2023 shows that there were 69 crash-related fatalities and 68 fatal crashes in 2023, which marks the continuation of an upward trend for both categories that began in 2018.
The latest report is based on AMATS’ analysis of more than 47,600 motor vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian-related crash records obtained from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). For the 2021-2023 Crash Report, the agency identified 138 high-crash roadway sections and 245 high-crash intersections within Portage and Summit counties and northeastern Wayne County.
AMATS Planning Administrator Matt Stewart explains that the agency compiles crash data as part of the area’s ongoing regional transportation planning process. This data is used by the agency to program and schedule safety improvement projects throughout the region.
A silver lining in the latest crash report is that the total number of area crashes continues its downward trend over the last several years, according to Stewart. The crashes reported during 2023 are nearly as low as the 2020 level of 15,005 crashes, which was an atypical time of reduced vehicular travel and fewer crashes due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown. The year-over-year change between 2022 and 2023 saw the number of crashes drop by 1,518 or 9.2 percent from 16,563 to 15,045 crashes.
Unfortunately, the report finds that crashes resulting in serious injuries and serious injury-related crashes increased despite notable decreases over the past five years. The number of crashes resulting in serious injuries jumped to 396 in 2023 from 333 in 2022 and the number of serious injury-related crashes increased to 324 from 302 during the same period.
“These trend lines for motor vehicle crashes are troubling, but the totals for pedestrian-related and bicycle-related crashes are worrisome too,” Stewart adds. Total pedestrian-related crashes jumped to 170 in 2023 from 143 in 2022 and bicycle-related crashes increased to 87 in 2023 from 73 in 2022. Both crash types showed significant increases from their recorded lows in 2020 when 94 pedestrian-related crashes and 54 bicycle-related crashes occurred.
High-crash locations identified in the report may be used by communities as a starting point when seeking federal Highway Safety Program funds through ODOT for safety improvement projects. The report identifies state Route 59, from Alpha Drive to state Route 261, in Franklin Township, and North Main Street (state Route 261), from Olive Street to East Tallmadge Avenue (state Route 261) in Akron, as the two highest ranked high-crash roadway sections in Portage and Summit counties respectively. State Route 585, from Benner Road to state Route 57, in Milton Township ranks 69th in the listing, the highest appearance for a section within Wayne County.
The intersections of state Route 14 and state Route 44 (North Chestnut Street) in Ravenna and Ravenna Township and Riverview and Ira roads in Cuyahoga Falls rank first and second respectively for high-crash intersections in the region. The highest-ranking Wayne County intersection is located at state Routes 57 and 604 in Chippewa and Milton townships and places seventh in the agency’s listing.
Additional data, such as those crashes resulting in minor injuries and property damage only, is available in the 2021-2023 Crash Report. The report is available for viewing and downloading by clicking here.