It’s that time in Cleveland again, when the Mid-American Conference (MAC) men’s postseason basketball tournament comes to town. Throughout the week, eight teams will compete in single-elimination games to achieve the coveted prize, an automatic bid to the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship.
It’s a busy time to be in Cleveland. The roads are busier than usual, so Cleveland residents and visitors should be extra cautious during their daily commute or when traveling to and from MAC games.
Cleveland Car Crashes
Cleveland is already a hotspot for car accidents, highway worker injuries, unwanted roadway incidents, and commercial transportation collisions. Quoting one report, “Of the nearly 260,000 crashes recorded by the Ohio State Highway Patrol in 2021, more than 10% occurred in Cuyahoga County. Cuyahoga County ranks #2 in the state for the highest number of crashes last year, with 28,066 crashes. This is just a few hundred behind Hamilton County, which tops the list for 2021.” Another report that looks at automobile collision data from 2017 to the present has Cuyahoga County edging out Hamilton County.[1]
Why all the accidents? Ohio State Highway Patrol Sgt. Ray Santiago spoke about the unique factors that put Cleveland residents at risk for traffic accidents. “When we look at, you know, some of the higher ranking counties, you know, the contributing factor there is that we’re just more densely populated. There are a lot more attractions; there’s a lot more business around here. So naturally, you’re going to see more instances of traffic-related incidents. I-90 being one of the main, you know, roads in and out of the city and to the suburbs, of course, we’re going to see increased citations issued, increased violations, increased crashes, more so than, you know, a country road that’s not traveled so much.” Those factors mentioned by Sgt. Santiago, coupled with tournament traffic, buses transporting teams, and out-of-city visitors, all make roadways during MAC week even more dangerous.
NRS Injury Law is Here to Help
The influx of commercial buses carrying visiting basketball teams means Cleveland motorists must be especially cautious on the roads. Large commercial vehicles like buses take up more space on the road, have larger blind spots, and take more time to come to a complete stop, turn, or perform a lane change. Further, it’s safe to assume the drivers of such buses are from out-of-town, meaning they might not know the Cleveland streets well.
NRS’s partners and personal injury attorneys hope for an exciting and fun MAC Tournament and a safe week for all Cleveland residents and visitors. Should an accident happen for a Cleveland resident or someone visiting from out of town, please don’t hesitate to contact NRS Injury Law. Call NRS Injury law today at 855.468.4878 or complete our convenient online contact form to schedule a no-obligation consultation with one of our Cleveland-based attorneys.
Sources:
[1] Cleveland19. “More Crashes Happen in Cuyahoga County.” Cleveland 19 News, 2022. cleveland19.com
