8,827 CRASHES IN
CONNECTICUT, CT
AUGUST 2015

In this period, 29 motorists were killed and 3,050 were injured in crashes. Vulnerable road users also sustained significant harm, with 3 pedestrians killed and 111 injured. While no cyclists were killed, 70 were injured in collisions.

Crash frequency peaked on Mondays with 1,422 incidents and during the 4 p.m. hour with 750 crashes. The afternoon commute, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., consistently showed the highest crash volumes of the day. Overall, a majority of crashes (6,864, or approximately 78%) occurred during daylight hours.

Of the 8,827 total crashes, 73.7% (6,509 incidents) resulted in no injuries, while the remaining 26.3% involved at least a possible injury. There were 29 fatal crashes, which resulted in a total of 32 fatalities. This indicates that some crashes involved more than one death.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 29 fatal crash events resulted in 32 persons killed.

The vast majority of crashes occurred in ideal driving conditions, with 93.7% happening in clear weather and on dry road surfaces. Approximately 78% of incidents took place during daylight hours. Crashes in adverse conditions were less frequent, with 351 incidents reported during rain and 478 on wet roads.

Analysis of persons involved in crashes shows the 26-34 age group was the most represented with 3,746 individuals, followed by the 45-54 group with 3,272. Among the 16,851 vehicles involved, Ford was the most frequent make listed with 1,686 vehicles. Other common makes included Honda (with 975 listed as 'HONDA' and 969 as 'HOND') and Toyota (752 vehicles).

The most crashes, 2,519 incidents or 28.5% of the total, occurred in 25 mph speed zones. While lower speed zones saw many crashes, the percentage of those crashes that were fatal tended to increase with speed. For instance, 0.864% of crashes in 65 mph zones were fatal, compared to 0.198% in 25 mph zones. However, the 20 mph zone had a notably high fatal crash rate of 2.083%, with one of its 48 crashes resulting in a fatality.

Fairfield County experienced the highest volume of crashes with 2,521 incidents. New Haven County followed with 2,370 crashes, and Hartford County had 2,037. Together, these three counties accounted for approximately 79% of all crashes statewide during this period.

The highest concentration of crashes occurred in Connecticut's largest cities. Hartford led with 544 crashes, followed by Bridgeport (541), New Haven (480), Waterbury (420), and Stamford (413). These five municipalities collectively represented over 27% of the total crashes in the state for the month.

Among crashes where road class was specified, incidents were most frequent on Local roads (328 crashes) and Minor Arterials (327 crashes). Limited-access highways, including Interstates and Freeways/Expressways, accounted for a combined 342 crashes. Collector roads saw 268 crashes, while Principal Arterials accounted for 162.

Crashes were split between state-maintained and local roadways. Local roads accounted for 3,449 crashes, representing about 42% of incidents where the route system was identified. State-maintained routes, including State, Interstate, and US Routes, were the location for the remaining 4,840 crashes, or 58%.

Of the crashes where roadway ownership was documented, the vast majority (8,199) occurred on public roads. A smaller but notable number of incidents, 349 crashes or approximately 4%, took place on private property such as parking lots or private drives.

Based on the 1,427 crashes with a rural or urban designation, 1,231 incidents occurred in urban areas. Rural areas accounted for 196 crashes, representing approximately 13.7% of this subset.

A majority of crashes, 6,023 incidents, occurred at locations not at an intersection. The remaining 2,772 crashes happened at or were related to junctions. Among these, four-way intersections were the most common site with 1,389 crashes, followed by T-intersections with 1,183 crashes.

Among crashes involving a collision with a fixed object, the most frequently struck items were guardrail faces (179 crashes), utility poles or light supports (178), and curbs (119). Collisions with utility poles and trees combined accounted for 276 incidents. These run-off-road events represent a significant category of single-vehicle crashes.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 10,642 of the 16,851 vehicles. Sport Utility Vehicles were the next most frequent with 2,803 units. Notably, 456 medium or heavy trucks and 231 motorcycles were also involved in collisions during this period.

For vehicles involved in crashes, the most common traffic control situation was 'No Control Device,' reported for 11,332 vehicles. Locations with traffic signals were the next most common, accounting for 3,982 vehicles involved in crashes. Stop signs were present for 1,102 vehicles involved in collisions.

Crashes in this period involved 425 vulnerable road users and motorcyclists. Motorcyclists were the largest group with 224 incidents. Pedestrians and bicyclists together accounted for 201 crashes, representing a significant portion of these high-risk events.

Among drivers for whom a contributing action was cited, 'Followed Too Closely' was the most common factor, attributed to 2,762 drivers. The next most frequent actions were 'Failed to Keep in Proper Lane' with 1,303 drivers and 'Failed to Yield Right-of-Way' with 820 drivers. These three actions represent the majority of specified driver errors.

While most drivers were listed as 'Apparently Normal,' 690 drivers were recorded with a specific adverse condition. The most cited condition was being 'Under the Influence of Medications/Drugs/Alcohol,' noted for 253 drivers. Driver fatigue or falling asleep was a factor for 180 drivers, and emotional distress was noted for another 88.

The most common pre-crash action for vehicles was 'Straight Ahead,' documented for 7,643 vehicles, or about 45% of all involved. The next most frequent actions were 'Stopped in Traffic' (1,843 vehicles) and 'Slowing' (1,355 vehicles). These actions often precede front-to-rear collisions.

The front of the vehicle, designated as 'Sector 12 (North),' was the most common point of impact, recorded for 4,862 vehicles. The rear of the vehicle ('Sector 6 (South)') was the second most common impact point, involved in 3,690 instances. These two locations account for the initial impact in over 50% of vehicles where this was specified.

For crashes involving pedestrians, 'No Improper Action' was the most common finding, attributed to 81 individuals. However, several improper actions were also noted, including 'In Roadway Improperly' (26 instances), 'Failure to Yield Right-Of-Way' (18), and 'Dart/Dash' into the road (16). These actions describe the circumstances leading to pedestrian-involved collisions.

The most frequent type of collision was 'Front to rear,' accounting for 3,445 crashes, or 39% of the total. Angle collisions were the second most common type with 1,599 incidents (18.1%), followed by same-direction sideswipes with 1,193 incidents (13.5%).

Of the 22,751 people involved in crashes, the majority were drivers, accounting for 15,770 individuals or 69.3%. Passengers made up the next largest group with 5,588 individuals. The data also includes 133 pedestrians and 83 bicyclists involved in these incidents.

Across all 22,751 individuals involved, 18,491 (81.3%) sustained no injuries. A total of 3,232 people were injured, with severities ranging from possible (1,879) and minor (1,204) to serious (149). Thirty-two individuals suffered fatal injuries.

Among vehicle occupants where safety equipment use was recorded, 15,960 were using both a shoulder and lap belt. There were 428 occupants recorded as using no restraint system at all. Additionally, various forms of child restraints, including forward-facing, rear-facing, and booster seats, were used by 667 occupants.

The majority of crashes, 6,615 incidents, involved two vehicles. Single-vehicle crashes were the next most common category, with 1,613 incidents, representing 18.3% of the total. Multi-vehicle pile-ups involving three or more vehicles were less frequent, accounting for 599 crashes.