63 CRASHES IN
ALASKA
2011

The timing of fatal crashes shifted between the two periods. In 2011, the peak days for fatal crashes were Monday and Tuesday, with 11 incidents each. This contrasts with 2010, when Thursday and Saturday were the peak days with 10 incidents each. The peak hour also shifted earlier, from 7 p.m. in 2010 (6 crashes) to 3 p.m. in 2011 (5 crashes).

Fatal crashes in daylight conditions increased from 31 in 2010 to 37 in 2011, while those in dark conditions rose from 17 to 24. Clear weather was the setting for the majority of fatal crashes in both years, accounting for 33 incidents in 2011 and 27 in 2010. The proportion of fatal crashes occurring in adverse weather like rain or snow remained stable, representing 17.5% of incidents in 2011 compared to 17.3% in 2010.

Ford and Chevrolet vehicles were the most frequently involved in fatal crashes in both years; Ford's involvement grew from 13 to 20 vehicles, and Chevrolet's more than doubled from 8 to 17. A notable demographic shift occurred among persons involved in these crashes: the 0-15 age group was the largest in 2011 with 29 individuals, up from 17 the prior year. In 2010, the 55-64 age group had been the most represented with 20 individuals.

In both years, 55 mph zones experienced the highest number of fatal crashes, with 21 in 2011 and 18 in 2010. There was a shift in other zones, as fatal crashes in 65 mph zones decreased from 10 to 5, while those in 45 mph zones increased from 7 to 12. As this dataset exclusively contains fatal crashes, the fatality rate for incidents recorded in every speed zone was 100%.

Collisions not involving another motor vehicle in transport, such as single-vehicle crashes or collisions with fixed objects, were the dominant type in both periods. This category accounted for 41 fatal crashes (65.1%) in 2011, an increase from 33 incidents (63.5%) in 2010. Angle and head-on collisions were the next most common types, with 9 incidents each in 2011, remaining consistent with the prior year.

The mix of vehicle types involved in fatal crashes changed year-over-year. In 2011, standard pickups were the most common type with 29 vehicles involved, a significant increase from 12 in 2010. In the prior year, 4-door sedans were the leading type with 15 vehicles, a figure that fell to 12 in 2011. Motorcycle involvement in fatal crashes decreased slightly from 9 in 2010 to 7 in 2011.

Fatal crashes on rural roads continued to outnumber those in urban areas, increasing from 30 in 2010 to 39 in 2011. The share of fatal crashes occurring in rural settings grew from 57.7% to 61.9% year-over-year. This elevated share on rural roads is a significant finding, as these trafficways often carry a disproportionate fatality risk due to factors like higher speeds and longer emergency response times.

The distribution of fatal crashes by roadway functional class shifted between the two years. In 2010, Interstates accounted for the largest number of fatal crashes with 24, but this figure dropped to 16 in 2011. Conversely, fatal crashes on Principal Arterials more than doubled from 5 to 13, and incidents on Local roads increased from 7 to 12.

Drivers were the most frequent person type involved in fatal crashes in both periods, with their numbers increasing from 75 in 2010 to 91 in 2011. The number of passengers involved also saw a significant 50% rise, from 50 to 75. Notably, 3 bicyclists were involved in fatal crashes in 2011, whereas none were recorded in 2010.

The total number of fatalities (K) from these crashes rose from 56 in 2010 to 72 in 2011. The number of individuals sustaining minor injuries (B) more than doubled, from 21 to 44. While the count of serious injuries (A) saw a slight decrease from 20 to 17, the total number of people involved across all injury levels grew from 132 to 178.

There was a significant negative trend in safety equipment use among persons in fatal crashes. The number of individuals reported as using no restraint more than doubled, rising from 25 in 2010 to 53 in 2011. In contrast, the number of occupants who used a shoulder and lap belt decreased from 81 to 68 over the same period.

Frontal impacts, designated as '12 Clock Point,' were the most common point of impact in both years, increasing from 39 incidents in 2010 to 46 in 2011. These frontal impacts accounted for the majority of collisions where an impact point was specified. 'Non-Collision' events, such as rollovers, were the second-most frequent category and remained stable with 14 occurrences in both periods.

Single-vehicle fatal crashes were the most common incident type in both years, increasing from 30 in 2010 to 36 in 2011. These crashes represented 57% of all fatal incidents in 2011, compared to 58% in the prior year. Two-vehicle fatal crashes also increased, rising from 19 to 23 incidents.