6,797 CRASHES IN
CONNECTICUT, CT
2018

In 2018, motorists constituted the largest group of individuals killed or injured, with 23 fatalities and 1,769 injuries. Among vulnerable road users, one pedestrian was killed and 46 were injured. No cyclists were killed, but 23 sustained injuries in traffic crashes.

Crash frequency in New London County peaked on Fridays, with 1,106 incidents recorded, and the single busiest hour for crashes was 3 p.m., with 561 events. A significant majority of crashes, 4,719 in total, occurred during daylight hours. A notable spike in crashes occurred during the afternoon commute period from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The vast majority of crashes, 79.2%, resulted in no injuries and were classified as property-damage-only. Injury-related crashes, including serious, minor, and possible injuries, collectively accounted for 20.5% of incidents. In 2018, there were 23 fatal crashes, which resulted in a total of 24 fatalities.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 23 fatal crash events resulted in 24 persons killed.

The majority of crashes occurred in ideal driving conditions, with 75.1% happening in clear weather and 73.9% on dry road surfaces. Similarly, 69.4% of all crashes took place during daylight hours. Crashes in adverse weather included 844 in rain and 268 in snow, while 1,220 incidents occurred on wet roads.

Analysis of the 15,818 persons involved in crashes shows the 26-34 age group was the most represented, with 2,594 individuals. Among the 12,102 vehicles involved, the most frequent make recorded was Ford with 1,441 vehicles. Other commonly involved makes included Toyota, Honda, and Jeep.

The speed limit zone with the highest number of crashes was 25 mph, accounting for 2,487 incidents or 36.6% of all crashes. While lower speed zones had more total crashes, the percentage of crashes within a zone that were fatal generally increased with higher speed limits. For instance, 0.6% of crashes in 45 mph zones were fatal, and this figure rose to 1.212% for crashes in 50 mph zones.

The highest concentration of crashes occurred in Norwich, which recorded 1,375 incidents, representing 20.2% of the county's total. New London followed with 1,044 crashes (15.4%), and Groton had 842 crashes (12.4%). These three municipalities collectively accounted for nearly half of all crashes in the county.

Minor Arterial roads saw the highest number of crashes with 1,664 incidents, followed by Principal Arterials with 1,157 crashes. Combined, limited-access highways, including Interstates (1,127) and Freeways/Expressways (267), accounted for 20.5% of all crashes in the county.

Crashes were most prevalent on state-maintained routes, which include State routes (2,955 crashes), Interstates (1,093), and US Routes (478). These roadways collectively accounted for 4,526 crashes. In contrast, local roads were the location for 1,982 crashes.

Of the crashes where roadway ownership was specified, the vast majority (6,462) occurred on public roads. A total of 213 crashes, representing 3.2% of the recorded total, took place on private property such as parking lots or private drives.

The data indicates a significant split between urban and rural crash locations, with 5,588 crashes occurring in urban areas. Crashes in rural areas accounted for 732 incidents, or 11.6% of the total where this classification was recorded.

The most common crash location was not at an intersection, with 4,844 incidents occurring at such mid-block or open road segments. Crashes at junctions accounted for 1,945 incidents, with T-intersections (985 crashes) and four-way intersections (816 crashes) being the most frequent types.

Among crashes where the first harmful event was striking a fixed object, the most common objects hit were guardrail faces (329 times), other fixed objects like walls or buildings (256), and utility poles or light supports (203). Collisions with utility poles and trees combined accounted for 349 of these run-off-road incidents.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 7,279 vehicles. Sport utility vehicles (2,113) and pickup trucks (1,132) were the next most frequent. The data also includes 256 medium or heavy trucks, 111 motorcycles, and 80 buses of various types.

Analysis of traffic controls for vehicles involved in crashes shows that the majority, 8,633, were at locations with no control device. Vehicles at locations with traffic signals were involved in 2,509 instances, while those at stop signs were involved in 635. This indicates a higher prevalence of crashes at uncontrolled locations compared to signalized intersections.

Crashes in 2018 involved 199 motorcyclists, pedestrians, or bicyclists. Of these, motorcyclists were the most frequent group with 107 incidents. Combined, pedestrians (61) and bicyclists (31) accounted for 92 crashes, representing 46.2% of these specific incident types.

The most frequently cited driver action contributing to a crash was 'Followed Too Closely,' recorded for 1,773 drivers. The second most common action was 'Failed to Keep in Proper Lane,' noted for 1,291 drivers. Other significant actions included 'Failed to Yield Right-of-Way' (598 drivers) and 'Ran Off Roadway' (539 drivers).

Among driver conditions noted as contributing factors, 298 drivers were identified as being under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol. An additional 145 drivers were noted as asleep or fatigued. Other recorded conditions included being ill or fainting (41 drivers) and emotional distress (37).

The most common pre-crash action for vehicles was 'Straight Ahead,' which was recorded for 5,988 vehicles, representing nearly half of all vehicles with a recorded action. Other frequent actions included 'Turning Left' (975 vehicles) and being 'Stopped in Traffic' (897 vehicles).

The most common point of impact on vehicles was the front, described as 'Sector 12 (North) in the 12-point Clock Diagram,' which occurred in 3,261 instances. The second most frequent impact point was the rear ('Sector 6 (South)'), recorded for 2,178 vehicles.

Among pedestrians for whom an action was recorded, 41 were determined to have taken 'No Improper Action'. For those with contributing actions, 'Failure to Yield Right-Of-Way' was noted for 10 pedestrians, while 'Dart/Dash' and 'Failure to Obey Traffic Signs' were each recorded for 9 pedestrians.

The most prevalent manner of collision was 'Front to rear,' accounting for 2,170 crashes, or 31.9% of the total. Angle collisions were the second most common type, with 1,102 incidents, representing 16.2% of all crashes.

Of the 15,818 individuals involved in crashes, the majority were drivers (11,424). Passengers made up the next largest group with 3,636 individuals, or 23% of all persons involved. The records also include 64 pedestrians and 31 bicyclists.

Out of 15,818 people involved in crashes, 1,838 sustained some level of injury, representing 11.6% of all persons. This includes 75 serious injuries, 881 minor injuries, and 882 possible injuries. A total of 24 individuals suffered fatal injuries.

The majority of vehicle occupants, 12,386 individuals, were recorded as using both a shoulder and lap belt. For 351 occupants, it was determined that no restraint was used, accounting for 2.5% of individuals where safety equipment use was noted. An additional 294 occupants were secured in a forward-facing child restraint system.

Two-vehicle collisions were the most common scenario, accounting for 4,525 crashes, or 66.6% of the total. Single-vehicle crashes represented 28.5% of incidents, with 1,935 recorded. Crashes involving three or more vehicles were less frequent, with one incident involving as many as seven vehicles.