9,976 CRASHES IN
CONNECTICUT, CT
DECEMBER 2018

Motor vehicle occupants constituted the largest group of casualties, with 18 motorists killed and 3,067 injured. Pedestrians were also a significant group, with 5 individuals killed and 149 injured in collisions. While no bicyclists were killed, 10 sustained injuries during this period.

Crash frequency peaked on Friday with 1,697 incidents, and the most common time for a crash was the 5 p.m. hour, which saw 1,137 events, indicating a strong correlation with the evening commute. Crashes were split between daytime and nighttime, with 5,164 incidents occurring in daylight and 4,709 happening in dark, dusk, or dawn conditions.

The majority of crashes, 7,613 incidents or 76.3%, resulted in no injuries. Injury-related crashes accounted for 23.7% of the total, encompassing serious, minor, and possible injuries. There were 21 distinct fatal crashes, which led to a total of 23 fatalities, as a single crash can result in more than one death.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 21 fatal crash events resulted in 23 persons killed.

A substantial majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions, with 76.5% of incidents happening in clear weather and 74.9% on dry road surfaces. Over half of all crashes (51.8%) took place in daylight. Nevertheless, adverse conditions were a factor in many incidents, as 1,612 crashes occurred during rain and 2,266 took place on wet roads.

Among the vehicles involved in crashes, the most frequent makes were Honda (2,036), Toyota (1,849), and Ford (1,703). Analyzing the demographics of all persons involved, the 26-34 age group was the most represented, with 4,100 individuals. The next most common age groups were 35-44 (3,543 people) and 45-54 (3,295 people).

Roads with a posted speed limit of 25 mph had the highest number of crashes, with 2,892 incidents. While lower-speed zones saw more crashes, the percentage of crashes that were fatal was higher in faster zones. For example, 0.691% of crashes in 40 mph zones and 0.586% in 65 mph zones were fatal, compared to just 0.069% in 25 mph zones.

Crash incidents were geographically concentrated, with three counties accounting for over 83% of the statewide total. Fairfield County reported the highest number with 2,964 crashes (29.7% of total), followed by New Haven County with 2,816 crashes (28.2%), and Hartford County with 2,530 crashes (25.4%).

The state's most populous cities experienced the highest number of traffic crashes. New Haven led with 613 incidents, followed very closely by Hartford with 608 crashes. Other cities with high volumes included Bridgeport (513 crashes), Waterbury (509 crashes), and Stamford (418 crashes).

Arterial roadways were the site of the most crashes, with 2,682 on Minor Arterials and 2,220 on Principal Arterials. Limited-access highways, including Interstates and other Freeways or Expressways, collectively accounted for 2,222 crashes. This represents 23.6% of crashes where the road classification was known.

Of the crashes with a known route system, 58.9% (5,603 incidents) occurred on state-maintained roadways, including State, Interstate, and US Routes. The remaining 41.1% of crashes (3,911 incidents) took place on local roads. This distinction is relevant for determining roadway ownership and maintenance responsibility.

The vast majority of collisions, 9,368 incidents, occurred on public roads. A smaller but distinct category of 432 crashes, representing 4.4% of the classified total, happened on private property. These incidents include crashes in commercial parking lots, private driveways, and other non-public areas.

The data shows a strong urban concentration for crashes, with 9,077 incidents occurring in urban areas. In contrast, 343 crashes were recorded in rural settings. This means that crashes in rural areas accounted for just 3.6% of the total where the geographic context was identified.

A majority of crashes, 6,667 incidents, did not occur at an intersection. However, intersections were the location for 3,284 crashes, or 33.0% of the total. The most common crash locations among junctions were four-way intersections (1,643 crashes) and T-intersections (1,419 crashes).

In crashes where the first harmful event was striking a fixed object, the most common objects hit were guardrail faces (236 incidents) and other fixed objects like walls or buildings (220 incidents). Collisions with poles and trees were also frequent, with utility poles struck 176 times and trees 108 times.

Passenger cars were the most prevalent vehicle type in collisions, with 11,160 involved, followed by 4,332 (Sport) Utility Vehicles. Medium and heavy trucks, a category with higher liability, were involved in 389 incidents, making up 2.1% of all vehicles. Additionally, 189 buses and 24 motorcycles were involved in crashes.

Analysis of traffic controls at crash sites shows that a majority of vehicles, 12,404, were involved in crashes where no control device was present. For crashes at controlled locations, traffic signals were the most common device, present for 4,557 vehicles involved in collisions. Stop signs were present for another 1,475 vehicles.

Among incidents specifically involving vulnerable road users and motorcyclists, pedestrians were the most frequent group, with 159 crashes. When combined with the 17 crashes involving bicyclists, these vulnerable road users accounted for 176 incidents, or 88.4% of this specific crash subset. Motorcyclists were involved in 23 crashes.

The most common contributing factor attributed to drivers was 'Followed Too Closely,' cited in 2,876 instances. This was followed by 'Failed to Keep in Proper Lane' for 1,834 drivers and 'Failed to Yield Right-of-Way' for 1,089 drivers. These actions represent the top driver errors identified in the crash data.

While most drivers were listed as 'Apparently Normal,' several adverse conditions were recorded. A total of 270 drivers were identified as being under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol. Driver fatigue was also a factor, with 127 drivers reported as asleep or fatigued at the time of the crash.

The most common action of vehicles immediately prior to a collision was 'Straight Ahead,' which was reported for 8,440 vehicles, or 44.8% of the total. The next most frequent pre-crash movements were vehicles being 'Stopped in Traffic' (2,065 vehicles) and vehicles 'Turning Left' (1,552 vehicles).

Frontal impacts were the most common, with 5,415 vehicles (28.8%) struck in the front ('Sector 12'). Rear impacts were the second most frequent point of contact, affecting 3,679 vehicles ('Sector 6'). This data aligns with the high prevalence of front-to-rear collisions reported.

In crashes involving pedestrians, 78 individuals were determined to have been acting properly with no contributing action. Among cases where a pedestrian action was cited, the most common were 'In Roadway Improperly' and 'Failure to Yield Right-Of-Way,' each cited for 18 pedestrians. An additional 13 pedestrians were reported to have darted into the road.

Front-to-rear collisions were the most common crash type, accounting for 3,609 incidents, or 36.2% of all crashes. Angle collisions were the second most frequent type, with 1,973 incidents (19.8% of the total). Sideswipes in the same direction of travel were the third most common, occurring 1,381 times.

Of the 24,409 individuals involved in crashes, the majority were drivers (17,923 people). Passengers made up the second-largest group, with 5,456 individuals. The data also captured non-occupants, including 170 pedestrians and 17 bicyclists who were involved in traffic collisions.

Among all 24,409 people involved in crashes, 83.7% (20,428) were not injured. A total of 3,226 people sustained some level of injury, ranging from possible to serious. The incidents during this period resulted in 23 fatalities, which is 0.09% of all persons involved.

The data on safety equipment use shows that 16,483 motor vehicle occupants were using both a shoulder and lap belt. In contrast, 447 occupants were recorded as using no restraint system at all. Additionally, child safety restraints were used for 637 children, including 419 in forward-facing seats.

Two-vehicle crashes were the most common type of incident, accounting for 7,484 cases, or 75.0% of all crashes. Single-vehicle crashes, which often involve running off the road or striking an object, occurred 1,866 times (18.7% of the total). Multi-vehicle pile-ups were less common, with 550 crashes involving three vehicles.