Norman recorded 67 crashes from 2020 through 2024, placing it third among Oklahoma cities examined in a five-year analysis of state crash data.
Only Oklahoma City, with 447 crashes, and Tulsa, with 322, ranked higher in the study, first reported by The Journal Record. Lawton came in fourth with 31 crashes and Broken Arrow fifth with 27.
The analysis was conducted by Hard Rock Bet, a sportsbook operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. It counted 3,161 crashes statewide over the five-year period, combining newly released 2024 figures with data from the previous four years.
The rankings use raw crash totals and do not adjust for population, road mileage or vehicle miles traveled, according to the Journal Record. They should not be read as a measure of crash risk.
Among Oklahoma roads, Interstate 40 led with 126 crashes. Interstate 44 followed with 106 and Interstate 35 with 105. State Highway 9, which runs through Norman, ranked in the top 10 statewide with 43 crashes.
A fatal crash occurred on that corridor Sept. 29, when the Norman Police Department responded to a collision at the intersection of 24th Ave. S.W. and State Highway 9. Three people were transported to hospitals and one later died, according to a city news release. A second fatal crash occurred the same evening in the 3600 block of Cedar Lane. Both remain under investigation.
Statewide, the annual crash total peaked in 2021 at 681. The analysis reported a peak in 2021 and a lower total in 2024.
The trend is not lost on local agencies. The Cleveland County Sheriff's Office has been awarded a $26,000 Oklahoma Highway Safety Office grant for overtime traffic enforcement in the current fiscal year, targeting high-visibility patrols with an emphasis on impaired driving, according to county records.
No Norman city official or police spokesperson has commented publicly on the city's ranking in the analysis.
