3,908 CRASHES IN
CONNECTICUT, CT
2018

Motorists comprised the largest group of individuals killed or injured, with 15 fatalities and 1,162 injuries. No fatalities were recorded for pedestrians or bicyclists in this period. However, 31 pedestrians and 11 bicyclists sustained injuries in collisions.

Crash frequency in Middlesex County peaked on Fridays, with 628 incidents, and during the 4 p.m. hour, which saw 353 crashes. A significant majority of collisions, 2,797 or 71.6%, occurred during daylight hours. In contrast, 975 crashes, or approximately 25%, took place after dark.

The vast majority of crashes, 3,012 or 77.1%, resulted in no injuries. Injury-involved crashes, including those with serious, minor, or possible injuries, accounted for 883 incidents (22.6% of the total). There were 13 distinct fatal crashes, which resulted in a total of 15 fatalities, indicating at least one crash involved multiple deaths.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 13 fatal crash events resulted in 15 persons killed.

The majority of crashes occurred in ideal driving conditions, with 78.5% (3,069) happening in clear weather and 76.6% (2,993) on dry road surfaces. Most incidents (71.6%) also took place in daylight. Adverse conditions were less frequent, with 440 crashes occurring during rain and 659 on wet roads.

Among all persons involved in crashes, the 26-34 age group was the most represented with 1,420 individuals, followed by the 45-54 age group with 1,284 individuals. The most frequent vehicle makes involved in collisions were Ford (744 vehicles), Toyota (732 vehicles), and Honda (591 vehicles).

The 35 mph speed zone saw the highest number of crashes with 698 incidents, representing 17.9% of the total. While crashes were most numerous in lower to moderate speed zones, the percentage of crashes that proved fatal was highest in zones with posted speeds of 50 mph (3.23% of crashes in that zone), 45 mph (0.98%), and 65 mph (0.89%).

Within Middlesex County, the city of Middletown accounted for the largest share of collisions, with 1,558 crashes, representing 39.9% of the county's total. The next most frequent locations were Cromwell, with 537 crashes (13.7%), and Old Saybrook, with 355 crashes (9.1%).

Minor Arterial roads experienced the highest number of crashes, with 898 incidents recorded. Limited-access highways, including Interstates and Freeways/Expressways, collectively accounted for 1,020 crashes, or 27.6% of the incidents where road class was specified.

State-maintained roadways, which include State, Interstate, and US Routes, were the location for 2,732 crashes, or 72.8% of the total where the route system was identified. In contrast, locally maintained roads accounted for 1,019 crashes (27.2%).

Of the crashes where roadway ownership was documented, 3,715 occurred on public roads. A smaller but notable number of incidents, 108 crashes or 2.8% of the specified total, took place on private property such as parking lots or private drives.

The vast majority of crashes, 3,382 incidents, occurred in areas classified as urban. Crashes in rural areas were significantly less common, accounting for 314 incidents, which represents 8.5% of the total where this classification was recorded.

A majority of crashes, 2,569 incidents, occurred at locations not at an intersection. For crashes that did happen at junctions, T-intersections (624 crashes) and four-way intersections (603 crashes) were the most common types, collectively accounting for 1,227 incidents.

Among crashes involving a collision with a fixed object, the most frequently struck object was a guardrail face, with 172 incidents. This was followed by utility poles or light supports (107 incidents) and trees (95 incidents). Combined, collisions with poles and trees accounted for 202 separate crashes.

Passenger cars were the most prevalent vehicle type involved in collisions, accounting for 3,987 vehicles. Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) were the second most common with 1,517 vehicles. The data also includes the involvement of 159 medium or heavy trucks, 61 motorcycles, and 50 buses.

The most common circumstance for a vehicle involved in a crash was at a location with no traffic control device, which was the case for 4,433 vehicle involvements. For comparison, 1,654 vehicle involvements occurred at intersections with a traffic signal, and 736 were at locations controlled by a stop sign.

Among incidents involving vulnerable road users, motorcyclists were the most frequent group with 60 crashes. There were also 33 crashes involving pedestrians and 13 involving bicyclists. Combined, traditional vulnerable road users (pedestrians and bicyclists) accounted for 46 of these incidents.

The most common contributing driver action was 'Followed Too Closely,' cited for 1,052 drivers. The next most frequent actions were 'Failed to Keep in Proper Lane,' noted for 753 drivers, and 'Failed to Yield Right-of-Way,' which was a factor for 379 drivers.

Among drivers for whom a condition other than 'Apparently Normal' was recorded, 141 were identified as being under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol. Additionally, 72 drivers were noted as being asleep or fatigued, and 29 were reported as ill or having fainted at the time of the crash.

The most common action for vehicles immediately prior to a crash was proceeding 'Straight Ahead,' which was the case for 3,373 vehicles, or 48.1% of the total. The second most frequent pre-crash maneuver was 'Stopped in Traffic,' recorded for 692 vehicles (9.9%).

The front of the vehicle, designated as 'Sector 12,' was the most common initial point of impact, recorded in 2,224 instances. The rear of the vehicle, or 'Sector 6,' was the second most frequent impact location, involved in 1,464 crashes.

In incidents involving pedestrians where an action was recorded, 23 of 42 pedestrians were determined to have taken 'No Improper Action.' Among the improper actions cited, 'Failure to Obey Traffic Signs, Signals, or Officer' was noted 5 times, and 'Dart/Dash' into the roadway was recorded 3 times.

Front-to-rear collisions were the most prevalent crash type, accounting for 1,445 incidents or 37% of all crashes. Angle collisions were the second most common type with 577 incidents (14.8%), followed by sideswipes in the same direction of travel with 396 incidents (10.1%).

Drivers constituted the largest group of individuals involved in crashes, with 6,841 people, or 74.8% of the total. Passengers were the next largest group with 1,948 individuals (21.3%). The data also includes 34 pedestrians and 13 bicyclists.

Of the 9,140 individuals involved in crashes, a total of 1,219 were either injured (1,204) or killed (15), representing 13.3% of all participants. The vast majority of people, 7,686 individuals, were not injured. Serious injuries were reported for 46 people.

The use of both a shoulder and lap belt was reported for 7,201 vehicle occupants, representing the most common form of safety equipment usage. Conversely, 123 occupants were recorded as not using any restraint system at the time of their crash.

Two-vehicle collisions were the most common type of incident, accounting for 2,725 crashes or 69.7% of the total. Single-vehicle crashes were the next most frequent, with 1,010 incidents (25.8%). Crashes involving three or more vehicles were far less common.