5,535 CRASHES IN
BRIDGEPORT, CT
2015

In 2015, vehicle motorists represented the largest group of individuals injured, with 1 motorist killed and 1,931 injured. Vulnerable road users also experienced significant harm, with 1 pedestrian killed and 109 injured. Additionally, 45 cyclists were injured, though no cyclist fatalities were recorded.

Crashes in Bridgeport occurred most frequently on Fridays, which saw 848 incidents in 2015. The single busiest hour for crashes was 5 p.m., with 432 events. A majority of crashes, 3,778 in total, happened during daylight hours.

Of the 5,535 total crashes, the majority (74.9% or 4,144 incidents) resulted in no injuries. Crashes involving possible, minor, or serious injuries accounted for a combined 1,389 incidents. There were 2 fatal crashes recorded, which resulted in a total of 2 fatalities.

The vast majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions, with 84% (4,647) happening in clear weather and 81% (4,478) on dry road surfaces. Daylight conditions were present for 3,778 crashes. Adverse conditions such as rain were noted in 413 crashes, while 687 crashes occurred on wet roads.

Among all individuals involved in crashes, the 26-34 age group was the most represented, with 2,490 people. Analysis of the 11,054 vehicles involved shows the most frequent makes recorded were Honda (1,077), Ford (1,049), and Nissan (752).

The highest number of crashes, 1,504, occurred in zones with a posted speed limit of 25 mph. Both of the year's fatal crashes also took place in 25 mph zones, where 0.133% of crashes were fatal. A significant number of crashes (1,237) occurred in areas recorded with a 1 mph speed limit, often indicating parking lots or other non-roadway locations.

Based on available data, Minor Arterials were the site of the most crashes with 165 incidents. Limited-access highways, including Interstates and Freeways/Expressways, accounted for a combined 99 crashes. Local roads saw 89 crashes, while Collectors and Principal Arterials had 56 and 39 crashes, respectively.

Crashes were most prevalent on local roads, which accounted for 3,197 incidents. State-maintained routes, including State, US, and Interstate highways, were the location for a combined 1,916 crashes. This indicates that crashes on locally-owned roadways were more frequent than those on roadways under state jurisdiction.

Among crashes where the roadway ownership was recorded, the vast majority (5,196) occurred on public roads. A smaller number of incidents, 204 crashes, took place on private property such as parking lots or private drives. This represents approximately 3.8% of crashes with known ownership data.

Crashes occurred almost equally between intersection and non-intersection locations. A total of 2,712 crashes were recorded as 'Not at Intersection.' The remaining 2,807 crashes occurred at various junction types, with four-way intersections being the most common (1,643 incidents), followed by T-intersections (994 incidents).

For crashes involving a collision with a fixed object, the most frequently struck items were categorized as 'Other Fixed Object' like walls or buildings (84 incidents). This was followed by utility poles or light supports (56 incidents) and concrete traffic barriers (47 incidents). Collisions with poles and trees combined accounted for 100 of these crashes.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 8,091 of all vehicles recorded. (Sport) Utility Vehicles were the next most frequent with 1,229 vehicles. The data also includes 173 medium or heavy trucks, 135 buses of various types, and 37 motorcycles.

Analysis of traffic controls at crash locations indicates that the majority of vehicles were involved in incidents where no control device was present (7,602 vehicles). Traffic signals were present for 2,217 vehicles involved in crashes, while stop signs were a factor for 979 vehicles. This suggests a higher volume of crashes occur at uncontrolled locations compared to signalized intersections.

A total of 207 crashes involved vulnerable road users or motorcyclists. Pedestrians were involved in 118 of these crashes, and bicyclists were involved in 52. Together, these two vulnerable road user groups accounted for 170 incidents, representing the majority of crashes in this category.

Among drivers for whom a contributing action was cited, the most common was 'Followed Too Closely,' which was noted for 1,092 drivers. Other frequent actions included 'Failed to Keep in Proper Lane' (593 drivers), 'Failed to Yield Right-of-Way' (513 drivers), and 'Improper Backing' (454 drivers).

While the majority of drivers were recorded as 'Apparently Normal,' several other conditions were cited. Being 'Under the Influence of Medications/Drugs/Alcohol' was noted for 59 drivers. An additional 40 drivers were identified as 'Asleep or Fatigued,' and 33 were noted as being 'Emotional'.

The most common pre-crash action for vehicles was 'Straight Ahead,' accounting for 5,432 vehicles, or nearly half of all involved. A significant number of vehicles, 1,469, were parked when the collision occurred. An additional 712 vehicles were stopped in traffic prior to being involved in a crash.

The front of the vehicle was the most common point of impact, with 3,379 vehicles being struck in the 'Sector 12 (North)' area. The rear of the vehicle, 'Sector 6 (South),' was the second most frequent impact point, recorded for 2,271 vehicles. These two areas represent the initial point of impact for the majority of vehicles in collisions.

For crashes involving pedestrians where an action was recorded, 95 individuals were determined to have taken 'No Improper Action.' Among improper actions cited, 'Failure to Yield Right-Of-Way' was noted for 13 pedestrians, and 'Dart/Dash' into the roadway was recorded for 9 pedestrians. Another 16 incidents were attributed to 'Other' unspecified actions.

The most prevalent manner of collision was 'Front to rear,' which accounted for 1,902 incidents, or 34.4% of crashes with a recorded collision type. Angle collisions were the second most common, with 1,223 incidents (22.1%), followed by same-direction sideswipes at 950 incidents (17.2%).

Of the 14,393 people involved in crashes, the vast majority were drivers, accounting for 10,054 individuals. Passengers made up the second-largest group with 3,825 people. The data also includes 123 pedestrians and 52 bicyclists involved in these incidents.

Across all individuals involved in crashes, 2 people sustained fatal injuries and 2,085 people suffered some level of injury, ranging from possible to serious. The majority of individuals, 12,040 people, were recorded as having no injuries following the incidents.

Among vehicle occupants where safety equipment use was documented, 8,165 individuals were reported as using both a shoulder and lap belt. A notable 480 occupants were recorded as using no safety restraint at all. An additional 162 occupants were secured in a forward-facing child restraint system.

The majority of crashes involved two vehicles, with 4,629 such incidents recorded. Single-vehicle crashes accounted for 527 incidents, or approximately 9.5% of the total. Multi-vehicle collisions were less common, though the data includes 318 crashes involving three vehicles and one crash involving seven vehicles.