Safety Alert: The Most Dangerous Cities to Drive in Ohio Revealed
In 2022, Ohio ranked as the 33rd state in the U.S. for fatal car accidents, experiencing one fatal crash for every 10,000 residents. That year, a total of 1,275 individuals lost their lives in car accidents across the state.
As part of a broader national analysis, Truck Parking Club utilized data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to identify the cities in Ohio with the highest accident rates. The rankings are based on the number of accidents per 10,000 residents in 2022. Only cities with at least 10 fatal crashes and populations over 20,000 were included, and cities without available Census Bureau population estimates were excluded. Ties in rankings were broken by the total number of fatal accidents.
Nationally, over 42,000 Americans died in car crashes in 2022, making such accidents a leading cause of death in the country. These fatalities occurred during more than 39,000 crashes—approximately one crash for every 10,000 residents. Although fatal crash rates had been declining for decades due to improved safety regulations, the trend reversed in 2020 and 2021. With COVID-19 restrictions reducing traffic, many drivers adopted riskier behaviors, a trend that has persisted even as traffic levels returned to normal. Despite a decrease in fatalities in 2022, numbers remain higher than in the past decade.
Most of the top cities in the U.S. for fatal crashes are located in the Southeast, and many are smaller cities with populations under 50,000. Geographic factors, such as hilly terrain and waterways, often contribute to the dangers on the roads. Below are the cities in Ohio most affected by fatal car crashes:
8. Akron
- Fatal accidents per 10,000 residents: 0.9 (Below the national average)
- Total fatal accidents: 17 (20 fatalities)
- Most common crash site: County roads (7 fatal accidents)
7. Toledo
- Fatal accidents per 10,000 residents: 1.0 (Below the national average)
- Total fatal accidents: 27 (29 fatalities)
- Most common crash site: County roads (8 fatal accidents)
6. Columbus
- Fatal accidents per 10,000 residents: 1.0 (Below the national average)
- Total fatal accidents: 88 (93 fatalities)
- Most common crash site: Local city streets (25 fatal accidents)
5. Cincinnati
- Fatal accidents per 10,000 residents: 1.2 (About the same as the national average)
- Total fatal accidents: 37 (40 fatalities)
- Most common crash site: County roads (19 fatal accidents)
4. Cleveland
- Fatal accidents per 10,000 residents: 1.3 (About the same as the national average)
- Total fatal accidents: 48 (49 fatalities)
- Most common crash site: County roads (18 fatal accidents)
3. Canton
- Fatal accidents per 10,000 residents: 1.6 (About 1.4 times the national average)
- Total fatal accidents: 11 (12 fatalities)
- Most common crash site: County roads (5 fatal accidents)
2. Dayton
- Fatal accidents per 10,000 residents: 1.7 (About 1.4 times the national average)
- Total fatal accidents: 23 (28 fatalities)
- Most common crash site: County roads (9 fatal accidents)
1. Youngstown
- Fatal accidents per 10,000 residents: 2.2 (About 1.9 times the national average)
- Total fatal accidents: 13 (13 fatalities)
- Most common crash site: County roads (10 fatal accidents)
These statistics highlight the critical importance of road safety and awareness for drivers in Ohio.