Drivers in Ohio should anticipate that a motor vehicle collision can occur anywhere and at any time. You never know when another driver might doze off at the wheel and swerve into your lane or stare at their phone as they approach a four-way stop, thus failing to notice your vehicle across from them.
Regardless of how safe you try to be while driving, the actions of other drivers will always lead to some risk of a crash. For drivers in Columbus, the risk of severe injury or death in a collision may be higher than it is in other parts of the state. Researchers have found that the most dangerous stretch of road in the entire state is right here in Columbus, and they have also determined that the area has the highest rate of traffic fatalities.
Interstate 71 includes the five deadliest miles of road in the state
According to data gathered between 2017 and 2019 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are some roads that are much more likely to see fatal collisions than others. I-71 between 11th Avenue and Morse Road is the deadliest five-mile stretch of road in the state according to data from those years.
Researchers found that they were 10 fatal crashes on that stretch of road in just three years. They also found that Franklin County was the deadliest county for drivers in all of Ohio. Despite 87 other counties with plenty of drivers and dangerous roads, Franklin County reported 287 deaths in those three years.
What does that mean for you?
So far, the Ohio Department of Transportation has only acknowledged the report about I-71 and the other deadliest roads in the state. They have yet to propose a concrete plan of action to reduce driver risk.
At this point, the only way to protect yourself is to learn where you are at higher risk of a crash and then plan your driving accordingly. Even though it may add a few minutes to your commute, avoiding that stretch of I-71 could potentially save your life. Keeping an eye on statistics about Ohio car crashes can help you stay safer out on the road.