8,938 CRASHES IN
CONNECTICUT, CT
JANUARY 2015

Of the 16 fatalities recorded, 11 were motor-vehicle occupants and 5 were pedestrians. Motorists also accounted for the vast majority of injuries, with 2,381 individuals injured. Vulnerable road users sustained a significant number of casualties, with 73 pedestrians and 5 cyclists injured. No cyclist fatalities were reported during this period.

Crash frequencies peaked on Friday, which saw 1,750 incidents, and during the 3 p.m. hour, with 833 crashes. The data shows distinct morning and afternoon commute peaks, with a significant surge in crashes between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. While a majority of crashes (63.3%) occurred during daylight hours, over a third of incidents (35.6%) happened in dark or low-light conditions.

The vast majority of crashes, 79.5%, resulted in no injuries and involved only property damage. Injury-sustaining crashes accounted for 20.3% of the total, distributed among possible (12.1%), minor (7.3%), and serious (0.9%) injury categories. A total of 16 fatal crashes were recorded, which corresponds to 0.2% of all incidents. In this period, the number of fatal crashes matched the total number of persons killed.

While a majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions—53.8% on dry roads, 62.7% in clear weather, and 63.3% in daylight—adverse conditions were a significant factor. Snow or ice was reported on the road surface in 2,666 crashes (29.8% of the total). Similarly, snow, freezing rain, or rain were present in 2,506 incidents (28.0% of the total).

Among all persons involved in crashes, the 26-34 age group was the most represented, accounting for 3,332 individuals, followed by the 45-54 age group with 2,937 individuals. Analysis of the 15,823 vehicles involved shows that the most frequent makes were Honda (1,824), Toyota (1,732), and Ford (1,658). These top three makes collectively accounted for a significant portion of the vehicles in reported collisions.

Roads with a posted speed limit of 25 mph saw the highest number of crashes, with 2,646 incidents, accounting for 29.6% of the total where speed limit was known. Within this zone, 0.189% of crashes were fatal. The highest fatal crash rates were observed in the 45 mph zone, where 0.915% of its 328 crashes were fatal, and the 65 mph zone, where 0.57% of its 526 crashes were fatal.

Crash distribution was heavily concentrated in three of Connecticut's eight counties. Hartford County recorded the most incidents with 2,370 crashes (26.5% of the state total), followed by Fairfield County with 2,323 crashes (26.0%) and New Haven County with 2,287 crashes (25.6%). Together, these three counties accounted for over 78% of all crashes in the state.

At the municipal level, crash volumes were highest in Connecticut's largest cities. Hartford led with 624 crashes (7.0% of the state total), followed by New Haven with 603 crashes (6.7%) and Stamford with 437 crashes (4.9%). These three cities collectively represented nearly 19% of all crashes statewide during this period.

Among crashes where the roadway functional class was identified, Local roads accounted for the highest number of incidents with 579. Collector roads followed with 553 crashes, and Minor Arterials saw 467 crashes. Limited-access highways, including Interstates (362) and Freeways/Expressways (259), collectively accounted for 621 crashes.

Analysis of crashes by the route system shows a split between state-maintained and local roadways. State-maintained routes (Interstate, US Route, and State routes) accounted for 4,553 crashes. Local roads were the site of 3,838 crashes, highlighting that a substantial portion of incidents occur on municipally managed roadways.

Of the crashes where roadway ownership was recorded, the vast majority (8,159) occurred on public roads. A smaller but notable number of incidents, 310 crashes or 3.7% of the subset, took place on private property such as parking lots, private drives, or within private developments.

In the 2,456 crashes where the location was classified as either urban or rural, the majority (2,055) occurred in urban areas. Rural areas accounted for 401 crashes, representing 16.3% of incidents in this subset. This highlights the concentration of crash events in more densely populated and developed regions.

The majority of crashes, 6,243 incidents, did not occur at an intersection. However, a significant number of collisions, totaling 2,669 or approximately 30.0% of all crashes, happened at or were related to a junction. The most common intersection types for these crashes were T-intersections (1,299 crashes) and four-way intersections (1,150 crashes).

Among crashes involving a vehicle running off the road and striking a fixed object, the most commonly struck objects were guardrail faces (445 incidents), utility poles or light supports (345), and trees (278). Collisions with utility poles and trees, two of the most dangerous roadside hazards, together accounted for 623 incidents, representing 27.9% of all fixed-object crashes.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 10,127 of the 15,823 vehicles in the dataset. Sport Utility Vehicles (2,729) and Pickup trucks (1,095) were the next most frequent. Notably, 432 medium or heavy trucks, 156 buses of various types, and 7 motorcycles were also involved in collisions.

In a majority of recorded instances (10,770), no traffic control device was present at the crash location. Locations with a traffic control signal were the second most common site, with 3,432 instances. Stop signs were present in 1,072 instances, indicating that a large share of crashes occur away from complex intersections or on road segments with no active traffic management.

A total of 90 crashes involved pedestrians, bicyclists, or motorcyclists. Of these, pedestrians were involved in 74 incidents and bicyclists in 10. Combined, these two vulnerable road user groups accounted for 84 crashes, or 93.3% of collisions within this specific subset.

Among drivers for whom a contributing action was cited, following too closely was the most common error, noted in 2,053 instances, or 28.1% of these cases. The next most frequent actions were failing to keep in the proper lane (1,207 instances) and failing to yield the right-of-way (730 instances). These three actions represent the primary driver errors leading to collisions.

While most drivers were recorded as 'Apparently Normal,' 506 drivers were noted to have a specific physical or mental condition. The most cited condition was being under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol, with 198 drivers. Another 104 drivers were reported as asleep or fatigued, and 81 were noted as being in an emotional state such as anger or distress.

Analysis of vehicle actions immediately prior to impact reveals that the majority of vehicles (6,873, or 43.4%) were moving straight ahead. A significant number of vehicles were either stopped in traffic (1,646 vehicles) or parked (1,119 vehicles) when the collision occurred. These actions represent the most common pre-crash movements in the dataset.

The most common point of impact on vehicles was the front, recorded as 'Sector 12 (North)' in 4,629 instances, representing 29.9% of impacts where location was specified. The second most frequent impact point was the rear, 'Sector 6 (South),' which was struck in 2,810 instances. These two locations account for the primary impact points in collisions.

Among the 88 instances where a pedestrian's action was recorded, 39 were noted as having 'No Improper Action.' For those where an improper action was cited, the most common behaviors were 'Dart/Dash' into the roadway (10 instances), being in the roadway improperly (8 instances), and actions related to a disabled vehicle (7 instances).

Front-to-rear collisions were the most prevalent crash type, accounting for 2,760 incidents or 30.9% of all crashes. Angle collisions were the second most common type, with 1,519 incidents (17.0%). These two patterns together represent nearly half of all crashes with a known collision manner.

Of the 20,365 individuals involved in crashes, the vast majority were drivers (14,851 persons, or 72.9%). Passengers constituted the second-largest group, with 4,645 individuals (22.8%). A small but notable number of pedestrians (85) and bicyclists (10) were also involved.

Across all 19,683 persons with a known injury status, 17,202 (87.4%) sustained no injuries. A total of 2,465 persons were injured, representing 12.5% of the total, while 16 individuals (0.08%) suffered fatal injuries. The injuries were categorized as possible (1,556), minor (816), and serious (93).

Among 17,238 vehicle occupants whose safety equipment use was recorded, the vast majority (14,743) were reported as using a shoulder and lap belt. However, 418 individuals, or 2.4% of this group, were recorded as using no restraint system at all. An additional 1,295 were noted as using a restraint of an unknown type.

The most common type of crash involved two vehicles, accounting for 5,931 incidents. Single-vehicle crashes were also common, with 2,589 incidents, making up 29.0% of the total. The data also includes several multi-vehicle pile-ups, including one 10-vehicle crash and one 9-vehicle crash.