Named after the fourth President of the United Stated, James Madison, Madison County is located near the heart of Ohio. Part of the Columbus Metropolitan Statistical Area, only 31,442 of the 40,213 residents in Madison County live in the various townships that are located throughout the county. Covering 466 square miles, only a single square mile of Madison County is covered in water during the majority of the average year. It is also worth noting that Madison County experiences inclement weather during at least 3 months during the average year.
Madison County is a relatively safe place for motorists according to data provided by the Ohio Department of Public Safety. In 2007, only 612 traffic accidents were recorded countywide, and another 772 were recoded the following year. The 26% year for year increase in total traffic accidents is certainly alarming, and worth exploring further, but it may be partially attributable to the small data set being examined. Simply put, a smaller data is more prone to dramatic influences, though 40,213 residents is not small enough that only a few traffic accidents could sway it one way or another. Instead, small changes in policy and how accidents are recorded may be to blame, or there may be other conditions that need to be considered.
According to data provided by the Ohio Department of Public Safety, the following townships recorded the greatest number of total traffic accidents in 2007: Jefferson with 129 total traffic accidents, Deer Creek with 104, Pleasant with 76, and Somerford with 73 total traffic accidents. 2008 saw a very similar picture painted of the aforementioned townships: Jefferson again recorded a county-leading number of traffic accidents with 185 in total, followed again by Deer Creek with 114, Somerford with 89, Pleasant with 82, and Range with a total of 80 traffic accidents.
Comparing these figures to populations reveals some interesting facts. First of all, the Township of Somerford and the Township of Jefferson have comparable populations, with 6,795 and 6,935 respectively. Despite the roughly equal number of residents, the two townships report wildly different traffic-related statistics and clearly paint a picture where Jefferson seems to be the more dangerous of the two townships.
The Township of Darby appears to be a relatively safe place for motorists in Madison County, with only 27 total traffic accidents on file during 2007 and another 23 in 2008. Despite the comparatively low rate of traffic accidents, there was a single traffic-related fatality on file in 2008. For a township with a population of almost 2,900, these are reasonably impressive statistics in a state where dangerous road conditions are a common occurrence.
There were 3 unknown and/or unattributable traffic accidents on file during 2007 in the Township of Jefferson, which is not unexpected. What might be a little unusual is the pair of such incidents in the Township of Fairfield during the same year. Of course, these could also be statistical anomalies, as Fairfield is home to only 1,333 residents of Madison County. None of the Madison County townships reported more than a single such incident in 2008.
If you’ve been seriously injured or have lost a loved one in a Jefferson Township, Deer Creek Township, or Pleasant Township truck / car accident, call the Madison County auto accident and wrongful death attorneys / lawyers at Chester Law Group at 800-218-4243 or order your FREE BOOK entitled The Insider’s Guide to Handling Ohio Accident Claims at www.ChesterLaw.com.