2,913 CRASHES IN
CONNECTICUT, CT
OCTOBER 2016

During this period, 4 pedestrians were killed and 32 were injured, representing the highest number of fatalities among all road user types. In addition, 3 motorists were killed and 1,016 were injured. No cyclists were killed, but 6 sustained injuries in crashes.

Crash analysis reveals distinct temporal patterns, with Friday being the most frequent day for incidents, recording 533 crashes. The daily peak occurred during the 4 p.m. hour, with 253 crashes. A significant majority of crashes, 2,014 out of 2,913, happened during daylight hours.

Of the 2,913 total crashes, 74.5% (2,171 incidents) resulted in no injuries, categorized as property damage only. The remaining crashes involved possible, minor, or serious injuries. There were 7 fatal crashes, which resulted in 7 fatalities; the number of persons killed can sometimes exceed the number of fatal crashes.

The majority of crashes occurred in ideal driving conditions, with 82.3% on dry roads (2,397 crashes) and 79.9% in clear weather (2,328 crashes). Daylight conditions were present for 69.1% of incidents (2,014 crashes). Among adverse conditions, rain was a factor in 348 crashes, and crashes on wet road surfaces numbered 472.

Analysis of persons involved in crashes shows the 26-34 age group was the most represented, with 1,380 individuals, followed by the 35-44 and 45-54 age groups. Among the 5,672 vehicles involved, the most frequent makes recorded were Ford (548), Honda (375), and Nissan (304). Several makes appear under multiple name variations in the data.

The most crashes, 1,080 incidents or 37.1% of the total, occurred in zones with a posted speed limit of 25 mph. Within this speed zone, 0.278% of crashes were fatal. Fatal crashes were also recorded in 35 mph, 40 mph, and 55 mph zones, with the highest fatal crash rate of 0.719% occurring in the 35 mph zones.

The highest concentration of crashes occurred in the county's largest urban centers. The city of New Haven accounted for 21.2% of all crashes with 617 incidents, followed by Waterbury with 548 crashes (18.8%) and Meriden with 249 crashes (8.5%). Together, these three cities represented nearly half of all crashes in the county.

Among crashes where the road classification was recorded, Minor Arterials saw the highest number of incidents with 98 crashes. Limited-access highways, including Interstates and Freeways/Expressways, accounted for a combined 110 crashes. Local roads were the site of 64 crashes.

Crashes were split between local and state-maintained roadways. Local roads accounted for 1,218 crashes, while state-maintained routes (including State, Interstate, and US Routes) were the location for a combined 1,551 crashes. This indicates that 56% of crashes with a specified route system occurred on roads under state jurisdiction.

Of the crashes where roadway ownership was identified, the vast majority occurred on public roads (2,730 incidents). Crashes on private property, such as in parking lots or on private drives, accounted for 123 incidents, representing 4.3% of this subset.

Based on the available data for roadway character, crashes occurred overwhelmingly in urban areas, with 379 incidents. In contrast, only 4 crashes were recorded in areas designated as rural.

A majority of crashes, 1,924 incidents, occurred at locations not at an intersection. Crashes at intersections accounted for a combined 987 incidents, with four-way intersections (496 crashes) and T-intersections (422 crashes) being the most common junction types for collisions.

For crashes involving a collision with a fixed object, the most commonly struck objects were guardrail faces (59 incidents), curbs (40 incidents), and utility poles or light supports (39 incidents). Collisions with poles and trees combined accounted for 91 separate incidents.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 3,595 vehicles. Sport Utility Vehicles were the second most frequent with 1,057 vehicles, followed by pickup trucks with 353. Notably, 134 medium or heavy trucks and 34 motorcycles were also involved in collisions during this period.

Analysis of traffic controls at crash locations indicates that a majority of vehicles, 3,580, were involved in crashes where no control device was present. Locations with traffic control signals accounted for 1,464 vehicles in crashes, while 479 were at locations with a stop sign.

There were 77 crashes recorded involving vulnerable road users or motorcyclists. Of these, pedestrians were involved in 38 incidents and bicyclists in 8 incidents, for a combined total of 46 crashes involving vulnerable road users. Motorcyclists were involved in the remaining 31 crashes.

Among the 5,308 drivers involved, 'Followed Too Closely' was the most cited contributing action, attributed to 984 drivers (18.5%). Other common actions included 'Failed to Keep in Proper Lane' (449 drivers) and 'Failed to Yield Right-of-Way' (327 drivers). A significant number of drivers, 2,472, were recorded with no contributing action.

While the vast majority of drivers (4,770) were listed as 'Apparently Normal,' several other conditions were noted. A total of 61 drivers were identified as being under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol. Additionally, 34 drivers were reported as asleep or fatigued, and 26 were noted as being emotional.

The most common pre-crash action for vehicles was moving 'Straight Ahead,' which was reported for 2,578 vehicles (45.4%). The next most frequent actions were being 'Stopped in Traffic' (713 vehicles) and 'Turning Left' (420 vehicles).

The front of the vehicle was the most common point of impact, recorded for 1,692 vehicles. The second most frequent impact point was the rear of the vehicle, with 1,214 instances. These two impact locations align with the high number of front-to-rear collisions.

Among pedestrians involved in crashes where an action was specified, 14 were noted as having 'No Improper Action,' while another 14 were described as being 'In Roadway Improperly.' An additional 6 pedestrians were cited for 'Failure to Obey Traffic Signs, Signals, or Officer.'

The most prevalent manner of collision was 'Front to rear,' accounting for 1,202 incidents, or 41.3% of all crashes. Angle collisions were the second most common type with 575 incidents (19.7%), followed by same-direction sideswipes with 411 incidents (14.1%).

Of the 7,422 individuals involved in crashes, the majority were drivers (5,308 people, or 71.5%). Passengers constituted the next largest group with 1,746 individuals. The data also recorded 41 pedestrians and 8 bicyclists as being involved in these incidents.

Across all 7,422 persons involved, 6,073 (81.8%) sustained no injuries. A total of 1,054 individuals suffered injuries ranging from possible to serious. Seven individuals sustained fatal injuries, accounting for less than 0.1% of all persons involved.

Among vehicle occupants for whom safety equipment use was recorded, the vast majority (5,211) were reported as using a shoulder and lap belt. There were 124 occupants noted as not using any restraint system, representing 2.1% of this group. Additionally, various forms of child restraints were used for 152 occupants.

The majority of incidents were two-vehicle crashes, with 2,276 occurrences. Single-vehicle crashes accounted for 422 incidents, or 14.5% of the total. Multi-vehicle pileups were less common, with 179 crashes involving three vehicles and 36 crashes involving four or more vehicles.