28,807 CRASHES IN
CONNECTICUT, CT
2015

Motorists comprised the largest group of individuals killed or injured, with 47 fatalities and 9,473 injuries. Vulnerable road users also suffered significant harm; 14 pedestrians were killed and 337 were injured. Additionally, one cyclist was killed and 118 were injured in crashes during this period.

Crashes in New Haven County occurred most frequently on Fridays, which saw a total of 4,977 incidents. The single busiest hour for crashes was 4 p.m., with 2,483 events, part of a broader peak during the afternoon commute from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Overall, 70.7% of all crashes happened during daylight hours.

Of the 28,807 crashes, the majority (75.4%) resulted in no injuries, being classified as property-damage-only events. The remaining 24.6% of crashes involved a possible, minor, serious, or fatal injury. There were 59 distinct fatal crashes recorded, which resulted in a total of 62 fatalities.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 59 fatal crash events resulted in 62 persons killed.

The majority of crashes in 2015 occurred under ideal driving conditions. Approximately 78% of incidents took place in clear weather, 76.8% on dry road surfaces, and 70.7% during daylight hours. Crashes in adverse conditions were less frequent, with rain-related incidents accounting for 2,526 crashes and snow-related incidents for 1,308.

Among the 73,096 individuals involved in crashes, the 26-34 age group was the most represented, with 12,578 people. Analysis of the 54,861 vehicles involved shows that the most frequent makes were Ford (5,450), Honda (3,864), and Nissan (3,058).

The most crashes, 11,184 or 38.8% of the total, occurred in zones with a posted speed limit of 25 mph. While lower speed zones saw more crashes, the fatality risk increased with speed. For instance, 0.943% of crashes in the 65 mph zone were fatal, the highest rate among all speed zones, compared to 0.152% in 25 mph zones.

Geographically, crashes were concentrated in the county's larger urban centers. The city of New Haven accounted for the highest number of crashes with 6,463 incidents (22.4% of the county total). Waterbury followed with 5,181 crashes (18.0%), and Meriden had 2,125 crashes (7.4%).

Among crashes with a specified roadway class, Minor Arterials saw the highest number of incidents with 1,187. Limited-access highways, including Interstates (775 crashes) and Freeways/Expressways (530 crashes), collectively accounted for 1,305 crashes, or 28.7% of the classified total.

Analysis of the route system shows that 54.1% of crashes occurred on state-maintained roadways, which include State, US, and Interstate routes, totaling 14,814 incidents. The remaining 12,559 crashes, or 45.9%, took place on local roads under municipal jurisdiction.

Of the crashes where roadway ownership was documented, the vast majority occurred on public roads. A total of 1,055 crashes, representing 3.8% of the classified total, were recorded on private property, such as parking lots or private drives.

The data indicates a significant urban concentration of crashes. Among incidents with a specified location type, 4,450 occurred in urban areas. In contrast, only 95 crashes, or 2.1% of the classified total, were recorded in rural areas.

The majority of crashes, 20,108 incidents, did not occur at an intersection. However, a significant number of crashes, totaling 8,629 (30% of the classified total), happened at various types of junctions. Four-way intersections were the most common crash location among junctions, with 4,219 incidents.

In crashes where the first harmful event was a collision with a fixed object, the most commonly struck objects were guardrail faces (691 incidents), walls or buildings (624), and utility poles (500). Collisions with utility poles and trees combined accounted for 795 incidents, representing 20.5% of all fixed-object crashes.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 35,192 of all vehicles. Sport Utility Vehicles were the second most common with 9,024 involvements. Notably, medium and heavy trucks were involved in 1,530 crashes, while motorcycles were involved in 333.

A majority of vehicles involved in crashes were at locations with no traffic control device present, accounting for 36,580 vehicle involvements. Locations with a traffic control signal were the site of 13,104 vehicle involvements, and stop signs were present for 3,630 vehicle involvements.

Among crashes involving pedestrians, bicyclists, or motorcyclists, a total of 852 such incidents were recorded. Pedestrians and bicyclists, classified as vulnerable road users, were involved in a combined 528 crashes, making up 62.0% of this group. Motorcyclists were involved in the remaining 324 crashes.

Excluding cases with no contributing action, the most common driver action cited was "Followed Too Closely," noted for 8,559 drivers. This was followed by "Failed to Keep in Proper Lane" (4,285 drivers) and "Failed to Yield Right-of-Way" (2,743 drivers).

While most drivers were reported as "Apparently Normal," several hundred were noted to be in a compromised condition. A total of 681 drivers were suspected of being under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol. Additionally, 380 drivers were identified as asleep or fatigued, and 364 were noted as being emotional.

The most common action drivers were performing just before a crash was simply driving "Straight Ahead," which was the case for 24,455 vehicles. The next most frequent pre-crash actions were being "Stopped in Traffic" (6,130 vehicles) and being "Parked" (4,268 vehicles).

The front of the vehicle was the most common point of impact, recorded as "Sector 12 (North)" in 15,718 instances, representing 29.0% of impacts. The rear of the vehicle, "Sector 6 (South)," was the second most frequent impact point, occurring in 11,156 cases or 20.6% of the total.

In crashes involving pedestrians, 200 individuals were determined to have been taking "No Improper Action" at the time of the collision. Among those where an improper action was noted, the most frequent were "In Roadway Improperly" (63 pedestrians) and "Dart/Dash" into the road (53 pedestrians).

Front-to-rear collisions were the most common type of crash, accounting for 11,001 incidents, or 38.2% of all crashes in 2015. The next most frequent crash types were angle collisions (5,001 crashes or 17.4%) and same-direction sideswipes (4,354 crashes or 15.1%).

Of the 73,096 people involved in crashes, the majority were drivers, accounting for 50,865 individuals (69.6%). Passengers made up the next largest group with 18,228 individuals (24.9%). Vulnerable road users, including 401 pedestrians and 155 bicyclists, constituted a smaller but significant portion of those involved.

Out of 73,096 people involved in traffic incidents, 9,929 (13.6%) sustained some level of injury, ranging from possible to serious. A total of 62 individuals suffered fatal injuries, representing approximately 0.085% of all persons involved. The vast majority, 59,947 people, were not injured.

Data on safety equipment use shows that 1,716 motor vehicle occupants were not using any form of restraint at the time of their crash. This accounts for 3.0% of the 57,325 occupants for whom restraint use was recorded. The most commonly used equipment was a shoulder and lap belt, reported for 48,593 individuals.

Two-vehicle crashes were the most common scenario, accounting for 22,037 incidents or 76.5% of all crashes. Single-vehicle crashes, often involving running off the road or striking an object, were the second most frequent type, with 5,017 incidents (17.4% of the total).