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Driving in any major city can be stressful, and accidents can happen anywhere. That said, Cleveland can be a particularly difficult city for driving. Every year, there are at least a handful of serious crashes, some of which cause fatalities. Looking at these Cleveland, OH, car accident statistics for recent years can show you what to expect heading into 2026.
The first thing to recognize is that Cleveland is a relatively congested city. There are many drivers on the roads at any given time, which can create a higher likelihood of crashes than you would see in a smaller city with a lower population.
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The latest year for which full data is available regarding car crashes in Cleveland, Ohio, is 2024. During that year, 270 people were seriously injured in accidents, and another 68 people died. In 2023, 103 people died and 304 were seriously injured in car wrecks. In 2022, only 43 traffic fatalities occurred, but 344 people were severely injured within Cleveland’s borders. As you can see, while there is some variation in annual fatalities, these numbers remain relatively consistent.
Of all the serious and fatal car accidents that occurred in recent years, many involved pedestrians or bicyclists. In 2024, there were 55 serious injuries to pedestrians in Cleveland and 12 fatalities. The year 2023 saw 40 serious injuries and 18 fatalities. In 2022, there were 50 severe injuries and nine deaths. The numbers aren’t much better for bicyclists, with one noteworthy exception.
In 2024, nine bicyclists were seriously injured, and three died in traffic crashes. In 2023, there were no fatal bicycle crashes at all, but 13 riders were severely injured. In 2022, nine riders were seriously hurt, and another one died. Those statistics may not sound serious, but it’s also worth noting that over 600 cyclists and pedestrians were hit by cars within Cleveland’s borders in 2024.
Motorcyclists fared less well than bicyclists for serious injuries and fatalities. In 2024, nine motorcyclists died in car accidents, and another 36 were severely injured. In 2023, 36 were badly injured, and 26 died. In 2022, 43 motorcyclists sustained severe injuries, but only six died.
Ohio had 8,767,784 licensed drivers in 2024. As of 2025, there are 363,800 residents of the Forest City. That’s a lot of cars on the road, which already places people at higher risk. To make matters worse, not all Cleveland drivers are acting responsibly behind the wheel.
Over the past five years, from January 2020 to early December 2025, 58,187 crashes are estimated to have been caused by driving under the influence of alcohol alone. Another 7,993 were determined to be drug-related, and 3,256 drivers were distracted when they got into accidents. An astonishing 12,819 accidents in the past five years are believed to have been caused by speeding, and 2,141 people caused crashes by running red lights or stop signs.
While there is no finalized dataset of 2025 driving statistics as of now, there is some preliminary data available. A total of 7,591 crashes have occurred as of early December 2025. Of those, 224 were fatal, and another 574 caused serious injuries. Minor injuries were present in 1,609 accidents, and there were possible injuries in another 920. Property damage occurred in 4,264 of the accidents reported so far in 2025.
If you’ve been in a car accident in Cleveland, OH, in the past year, you’re not alone. Many other residents and visitors to our fine city have experienced the same thing. Some of them have been severely injured, and others have died. If you or someone you love has been in a serious car crash, you should take action immediately. Hiring a car accident attorney can maximize your chances of getting a fair compensation package from the responsible driver’s insurance.
How many car accidents happen per year in Ohio varies somewhat, but the number generally hovers at around 50,000. In 2024, there were 47,868 accidents in Ohio. The police have investigated 50,345 accidents as of early December 2025. Many of these accidents are quite serious, with 1,157 people losing their lives due to crashes in 2024.
There are no absolute counts of how many fatal car accidents there were in 2025 yet. However, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released early estimates for traffic fatalities from the first half of the year in September. They estimated that 17,140 people died in car crashes from January through June 2025.
Over 90% of car accidents are caused by human error. Some common mistakes leading to crashes can include:
If another driver has caused your recent car accident, you should hire a car accident attorney to get compensated for your damages.
Car crashes are neither increasing nor decreasing dramatically in Ohio nor in the United States more generally. To take Ohio as an example, in 2024, there were 251,097 car crashes. In 2023, there were 252,623 accidents, and in 2022, there were 265,509. While there has been some reduction in the number of accidents in the Buckeye State over the past several years, it isn’t significant.
If you’ve been in a crash due to another driver’s negligence, you deserve to be compensated for what you’ve been through. Hire a car accident lawyer, like Rumizen Weisman Attorneys, to get what you are owed. We’ve been in practice for years and have a clear understanding of car accident laws and how they apply to unique situations. We’ve taken on countless Cleveland car accident cases, and we can help you, too. Contact us today to learn more.
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