[Watch coverage from 2021 on traffic crashes along state highways in the player above.]
(WJW) — Several local communities without any fatal traffic crashes during a recent five-year period have been cited as an example of a future with zero roadway deaths, which is the goal of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Portions of interstates that pass through Cleveland and Cincinnati were some of Ohio’s most dangerous highways in the last five years, according to Ohio State Highway Patrol data. Each saw nearly 9,000 crashes between 2018 and 2023.
Nearly 43,000 people died on U.S. roads in 2021, according to a February report from the transportation department.
“The status quo is unacceptable, and it is preventable,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is quoted in the report. “We know it’s preventable because bold cities in the United States, and countries abroad, have achieved tremendous reductions in roadway deaths.”
Among the bigger U.S. cities, which have more than 50,000 residents, Lakewood has one of the lowest fatality rates nationwide, according to the report. Its population in 2020 was nearly 50,500 and it reported two fatal crashes between 2016 and 2020, a fatality rate of 0.79 per 100,000 residents.
Among the smaller U.S. cities, which have between 5,000 residents and 50,000 residents, Avon Lake is the safest, according to the federal data. It had a single fatal crash in those five years. With a population of 25,206, that’s also a rate of 0.79 per 100,000 residents.
Elsewhere in Ohio, Moraine, a smaller city of nearly 6,400 in Montgomery County, is among the department’s top 25 small cities with the highest fatality rates in the nation. It reported 14 traffic deaths between 2016 and 2020, putting its fatality rate at 43.8 per 100,000 residents.
But locally, most traffic crashes with fatalities or serious injuries between 2013 and 2017 happened on locally maintained roads, and often in cities, according to the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency’s 2019 traffic safety report.
The report analyzed several rising trends in traffic fatalities between 2011 and 2017, namely: speed (up 7%); vehicles leaving their road or lane (up 14%); pedestrian deaths (up 36%); and distracted driving (up 50%).
That safety improvement plan aims to reduce the five-year rolling average numbers of fatal crashes from 131 in 2017 to 123 in 2023 and serious injury crashes from 1,245 in 2017 to 1,172 in 2023.
“By taking the lead to inform and coordinate the efforts of its safety partners in government and other agencies, NOACA intends to build a strong team committed to working hard to prevent fatalities and serious injuries,” reads the report. “Reaching an ultimate goal of zero fatalities and serious injuries may seem like an impossible goal, but through the sustained effort and steady resolve of all, the lives of travelers on our region’s highways will be saved.”
21 cities had no traffic deaths from 2016-2020
Below are the Northeast Ohio cities that went at least one year without a fatal crash between 2016 and 2020, according to the transportation department’s report. About 14% of all small cities nationwide — cities with populations between 5,000 people and 50,000 people — did not report any roadway fatalities in that time, including 21 communities in Northeast Ohio (highlighted in bold).
Ashland County
Ashland (population 19,225): Five years
Ashtabula County
Ashtabula (population 17,975): Two years
Conneaut (population 12,318): One year
Geneva (population 5,924): Four years
Columbiana County
Columbiana (population 6,559): Three years
East Liverpool (population 9,958): Five years
Salem (population 11,915): Five years
Cuyahoga County
Bay Village (population 16,163): Five years
Bedford Heights (population 11,020): Four years
Berea (population 18,545): Three years
Brecksville (population 13,635): Four years
Broadview Heights (population 19,936): Three years
Brooklyn (population 11,359): Three years
Brook Park (population 18,595): Two years
Fairview Park (population 17,291): Five years
Garfield Heights (population 29,781): Two years
Highland Heights (population 8,719): Four years
Independence (population 7,584): Two years
Lakewood (population 50,942): Three years
Lyndhurst (population 14,050): Three years
Maple Heights (population 23,701): Three years
Mayfield Heights (population 20,351): Four years
Middleburg Heights (population 16,004): Two years
North Olmsted (population 32,442): Two years
North Royalton (population 31,322): Two years
Richmond Heights (population 10,801): Three years
Olmsted Falls (population 8,582): Four years
Parma (population 81,146): One year
Parma Heights (population 20,863): Four years
Richmond Heights (population 10,801): Three years
Rocky River (population 21,755): Two years
Pepper Pike (population 6,796): Five years
Seven Hills (population 11,720): Five years
Shaker Heights (population 29,439): Two years
Solon (population 24,262): Two years
South Euclid (population 21,883): Four years
Strongsville (population 46,491): One year
University Heights (population 13,914): Four years
Warrensville Heights (population 13,789): One year
Westlake (population 34,228): One year
Erie County
Huron (population 6,922): Two years
Sandusky (population 25,095): One year
Geauga County
Chardon (population 5,242): Four years
Huron County
Bellevue (population 8,249): Three years
Norwalk (population 17,068): Two years
Willard (population 6,197): Four years
Lake County
Eastlake (population 17,670): Three years
Kirtland (population 6,937): Five years
Mentor (population 47,450): One year
Mentor-on-the-Lake (population 7,131): Five years
Painesville (population 20,312): Three years
Wickliffe (population 12,652): Three years
Willoughby (population 23,959): Two years
Willoughby Hills (population 10,019): Two years
Lorain County
Amherst (population 12,681): Four years
Avon (population 24,847): Three years
Avon Lake (population 25,206): Four years
Elyria (population 52,656): One year
Grafton (population 5,895): Four years
North Ridgeville (population 35,280): One year
Oberlin (population 8,555): Four years
Sheffield Lake (population 8,957): Five years
Vermilion (population 10,659): Three years
Mahoning County
Campbell (population 7,852): Four years
Canfield (population 7,699): Four years
Struthers (population 10,063): Five years
Medina County
Brunswick (population 35,426): Three years
Medina (population 26,094): Four years
Wadsworth (population 24,007): Five years
Portage County
Aurora (population 17,239): Three years
Kent (population 28,215): Five years
Ravenna (population 11,323): Two years
Streetsboro (population 17,260): Three years
Richland County
Mansfield (population 47,534): One year
Ontario (population 6,656): Three years
Shelby (population 9,282): Three years
Stark County
Alliance (population 21,672): Three years
Canal Fulton (population 5,325): Five years
Green (population 27,475): Two years
Louisville (population 9,521): Five years
New Franklin (population 13,877): Three years
North Canton (population 17,842): Three years
Summit County
Barberton (population 25,191): Three years
Hudson (population 23,110): Two years
Fairlawn (population 7,710): Four years
Macedonia (population 12,168): Five years
Munroe Falls (population 5,044): Five years
Norton (population 11,673): Two years
Reminderville (population 5,412): Five years
Tallmadge (population 18,394): Four years
Twinsburg (population 19,248): Three years
Trumbull County
Cortland (population 7,105): Five years
Girard (population 9,603): Four years
Hubbard (population 7,636): Five years
Niles (population 18,443): Two years
Warren (population 39,201): One year
Tuscarawas County
Dover (population 13,112): Four years
Uhrichsville (population 5,272): Three years
Wayne County
Orrville (population 8,452): Five years
Wooster (population 27,232): Two years
Rittman (population 6,131): Three years
