Cincinnati has a lot to offer, from affordable housing when compared with many other cities in the Midwest and a well-respected restaurant scene to plenty of cultural opportunities. Unfortunately, those perks come with certain risks, including a lot of crash risk.
Those in Cincinnati and nearby may be in more danger on the roads than people living down in Kentucky or up in Michigan. Why are Cincinnati residents particularly at risk for motor vehicle collisions?
Ohio has some of the worst drivers
If you commute to work every day, it may not surprise you to learn that Ohio has one of the worst rankings in terms of traffic violations in the entire country. After all, you have to deal with those dangerous drivers on a daily basis.
A study from just a couple of years ago found that Ohio drivers were the most likely to commit several common traffic infractions. When you look at the total number of drivers versus the number of citations issued by police officers, Ohio ranks worst out of every state.
While other states have worse rates of speeding or drunk driving specifically, Ohio has the highest percentage of traffic infractions per driver in general. In Cincinnati, where the traffic is overall heavier and people may be more frustrated with their commute to work than in less-developed areas, the crash risk may be significantly higher than in other parts of Ohio.
How can you protect yourself?
There are two ways for drivers worried about their crash risk to protect themselves and their passengers on the Cincinnati-area roads.
The first is defensive driving. Recognizing that other drivers could cause a crash that leaves you or someone you love seriously hurt can change the way that you act at the wheel. Treating everyone as a potential threat could be the difference between getting blindsided by someone at an intersection and successfully avoiding a wreck.
The second is better insurance. Instead of carrying what Ohio mandates for coverage, you can increase your insurance so that you have more protection, including in scenarios where the other driver doesn’t have good insurance or you suffer a catastrophic injury.
Taking the right steps ahead of time can help you avoid a crash and better protect you if one does eventually occur.
