10,215 CRASHES IN
CONNECTICUT, CT
JANUARY 2018

Motorists comprised the largest group of individuals killed or injured, with 15 fatalities and 2,742 injuries. Pedestrians also faced significant risk, with 6 individuals killed and 124 injured in traffic collisions. There were no cyclist fatalities reported, though 4 cyclists sustained injuries.

Crash frequency peaked on Tuesdays, with 1,956 incidents recorded, and during the 5 p.m. hour, which saw 876 crashes. A distinct pattern of morning and afternoon commute peaks is visible, with 866 crashes at 8 a.m. and 876 at 5 p.m. While a majority of crashes (6,206) occurred during daylight, a substantial number (3,564) happened in dark conditions, whether on lighted or unlighted roads.

The vast majority of crashes, 79.2% (8,095 incidents), resulted in no injuries. Injury-involved crashes, including serious, minor, and possible injuries, accounted for 20.6% of the total. There were 17 fatal crashes, which resulted in a total of 21 fatalities, indicating some incidents involved more than one death.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 17 fatal crash events resulted in 21 persons killed.

A majority of crashes occurred in ideal driving conditions, with 78.5% (8,020 crashes) happening in clear weather and 63.8% (6,513 crashes) on dry road surfaces. Similarly, 60.8% of incidents (6,206) took place in daylight. Adverse conditions were also a factor, with 669 crashes occurring in snow and 1,639 on wet roads.

Among the 24,170 individuals involved in crashes, the 26-34 age group was the most represented, accounting for 4,222 people. The most frequently involved vehicle makes were Honda (2,140), Toyota (2,138), and Nissan (1,673). Ford (1,883) and Chevrolet (1,456) were also commonly involved in collisions during this period.

The 25 mph speed zone saw the highest number of crashes, with 3,176 incidents, representing 31.1% of all crashes. While crash volume was highest in lower speed zones, the percentage of crashes that were fatal increased in higher speed zones. For instance, 0.19% of crashes in 25 mph zones were fatal, compared to 0.43% of crashes in 65 mph zones.

Crash distribution was heavily concentrated in three counties, which together accounted for 81.1% of all incidents statewide. New Haven County recorded the most crashes with 2,869, followed closely by Fairfield County with 2,844 and Hartford County with 2,574. The remaining five counties each accounted for less than 7% of the state's total crashes.

New Haven and Waterbury were the municipalities with the highest number of crashes, recording 643 and 642 incidents, respectively. They were followed by Bridgeport (555 crashes), Hartford (518 crashes), and Stamford (454 crashes). These five cities collectively accounted for 27.5% of all crashes in the state for the month.

Arterial roads were the site of the most crashes, with minor arterials accounting for 2,583 incidents and principal arterials for 1,950. Limited-access highways, including Interstates and Freeways/Expressways, collectively accounted for 1,906 crashes, or 18.7% of the total. Local roads saw 1,256 crashes.

The data indicates a near-even split in crash locations between state-maintained and local road systems. State-maintained routes (Interstate, US, and State routes) were the location for 5,290 crashes. Meanwhile, local roads accounted for 4,413 crashes during this period.

Of the crashes where roadway ownership was documented, 394 incidents occurred on private property, such as in parking lots or on private drives. The vast majority of crashes, 9,629, took place on public roads. This distinction is relevant for determining roadway maintenance responsibility and premises liability.

The overwhelming majority of crashes, 8,306, occurred in areas classified as urban. In contrast, 485 crashes, or approximately 5.5% of those with a known classification, were recorded in rural areas. This highlights the concentration of crash incidents within more densely populated regions of the state.

Most crashes did not occur at an intersection, with 6,841 incidents classified as non-junction related. However, a significant number of collisions, 3,341 or 32.7% of the total, happened at or near an intersection. Among these, four-way intersections (1,672 crashes) and T-intersections (1,450 crashes) were the most common locations.

In crashes involving a collision with a fixed object, the most frequently struck objects were guardrail faces (312 incidents) and other fixed objects like walls or buildings (303 incidents). Utility poles and trees were also common hazards, with a combined 434 crashes involving collisions with one of these two object types. These run-off-road crashes often indicate a loss of vehicle control.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 11,343 involvements, followed by sport utility vehicles with 3,954. Medium and heavy trucks were involved in 478 incidents, while buses, including school and transit buses, were involved in 205. Motorcycles were involved in 7 crashes during this period.

Analysis of vehicle involvements shows that most occurred where no traffic control device was present (12,676 involvements). Locations with a traffic control signal saw 4,470 vehicle involvements, while those with a stop sign had 1,402. This indicates that a majority of crash involvements happened on uncontrolled road segments.

During this period, there were 156 crashes involving vulnerable road users or motorcyclists. Pedestrians were involved in 144 of these incidents, highlighting their significant risk. Bicyclists were involved in 5 crashes, and motorcyclists in 7 crashes.

Among driver actions cited as contributing factors, following too closely was the most common, noted in 2,738 instances. This was followed by failing to keep in the proper lane (1,836 instances) and failing to yield the right-of-way (1,016 instances). These three actions represent the most frequent driver errors leading to collisions.

While most drivers were recorded as 'Apparently Normal,' several hundred were noted to have conditions that may have contributed to the crash. Being under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol was cited for 227 drivers. Additionally, 120 drivers were identified as asleep or fatigued, and 68 were noted as being emotional.

The most common pre-crash action for vehicles involved was driving straight ahead, which was reported for 8,500 vehicles. A significant number of vehicles were stopped in traffic (1,983) or in the process of turning left (1,402) immediately before the collision. These actions represent the most common driving situations leading to a crash.

The front of the vehicle was the most common point of impact, recorded in 5,460 instances (as 'Sector 12'). The second most frequent impact point was the rear of the vehicle, noted in 3,486 cases (as 'Sector 6'). This aligns with the high number of front-to-rear collisions observed in the data.

Of the 130 pedestrians whose actions were documented, 69 were determined to have taken no improper action. For those with contributing actions, failure to yield the right-of-way was cited for 15 pedestrians, and darting or dashing into the roadway was noted for 13. An additional 9 pedestrians were improperly in the roadway.

Front-to-rear collisions were the most prevalent crash type, accounting for 3,460 incidents or 33.9% of all crashes. Angle collisions were the second most common, with 2,048 incidents (20.0%). Together, these two types of collisions represent more than half of all crashes recorded during this period.

Of the 24,170 people involved in crashes, the vast majority were either drivers (17,941 individuals, or 74.2%) or passengers (5,213 individuals, or 21.6%). A smaller but notable number of pedestrians (156) and bicyclists (5) were also involved in these traffic incidents.

Among the 24,170 people involved in crashes, 2,871 sustained some level of injury, and 21 suffered fatal injuries. This means that approximately 11.9% of all individuals involved in a crash were injured. The majority of people, 20,537, were not injured.

Shoulder and lap belts were the most commonly used form of safety equipment, reported for 17,181 vehicle occupants. However, 496 occupants were recorded as not using any restraint system at the time of the crash. This group represents approximately 2.5% of occupants for whom safety equipment use was documented.

Two-vehicle collisions were the most common scenario, accounting for 7,440 crashes, or 72.8% of the total. Single-vehicle crashes, often involving a collision with a fixed object or running off the road, made up 21.7% of incidents (2,220 crashes). Multi-vehicle pile-ups involving three or more vehicles were less common, representing about 5.5% of all crashes.