9,361 CRASHES IN
CONNECTICUT, CT
JULY 2018

During this period, 37 people were killed and 3,335 were injured in traffic crashes. Among these, 8 pedestrians were killed and 98 were injured. While no cyclists were killed, 48 were injured. The majority of fatalities and injuries were sustained by motorists, with 29 killed and 3,188 injured.

Crash patterns in July 2018 show a concentration during typical commuting times. The peak day for crashes was Tuesday with 1,668 incidents, and the single busiest hour was the 4 p.m. hour with 803 crashes. The majority of collisions, 7,477 in total, occurred during daylight hours.

The majority of crashes (74.6%) resulted in no injuries, involving only property damage. Injury-related crashes, including serious, minor, and possible injuries, accounted for a combined 25.1% of the total. There were 32 fatal crashes during this period, which resulted in a total of 37 fatalities, as a single crash can involve more than one death.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 32 fatal crash events resulted in 37 persons killed.

The vast majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions, with 86.1% happening in clear weather and 87.2% on dry road surfaces. Similarly, 79.9% of all incidents took place during daylight hours. Crashes in adverse conditions included 869 incidents during rain and 1,118 on wet roads.

Among all persons involved in crashes, the 26-34 age group was the most represented, with 4,044 individuals. The most frequent vehicle makes involved in these incidents were Honda (1,809 vehicles), Toyota (1,673 vehicles), and Ford (1,630 vehicles).

The speed zone with the highest number of crashes was 25 mph, accounting for 2,790 incidents (29.8% of the total). The percentage of crashes within a zone that resulted in a fatality tended to increase with the speed limit. For example, 0.25% of crashes in 25 mph zones were fatal, while this figure rose to 0.83% for crashes in 65 mph zones.

Crash incidents were heavily concentrated in three counties, which together accounted for 82.9% of the statewide total. Fairfield County had the highest number of crashes with 2,787 (29.8%), followed by New Haven County with 2,578 (27.5%) and Hartford County with 2,394 (25.6%).

The highest crash volumes at the municipal level were recorded in Connecticut's largest cities. Hartford reported the most incidents with 714 crashes, representing 7.6% of the statewide total. It was followed by New Haven with 568 crashes (6.1%) and Waterbury with 524 crashes (5.6%).

Crashes were most frequent on Minor Arterial roads, which saw 2,535 incidents. Combined, limited-access highways like Interstates (1,267 crashes) and Freeways/Expressways (699 crashes) accounted for 21.0% of all crashes in the state during this period.

When analyzed by route system, crashes were split between state-maintained and local roadways. State-maintained routes, including State, Interstate, and US Routes, accounted for 53.7% of all crashes (5,029 incidents). Local roads were the location for 40.3% of crashes (3,776 incidents).

Among crashes where roadway ownership was documented, the vast majority occurred on public roads (8,743 incidents). A total of 440 crashes, or 4.8% of this subset, took place on private property such as parking lots or private drives.

The data indicates that crashes predominantly occurred in urban settings, which accounted for 8,342 incidents. Crashes in areas designated as rural numbered 360, representing 4.1% of all collisions where this classification was recorded.

The majority of crashes, 6,127 incidents, occurred at locations not at an intersection. A combined 34.4% of crashes happened at various types of junctions, with four-way intersections being the most common type (1,608 crashes), followed by T-intersections (1,432 crashes).

For crashes where the first harmful event was striking a fixed object, the most frequently hit objects were guardrail faces (219 incidents) and other fixed objects like walls or buildings (213 incidents). Collisions with utility poles (151) and trees (126) were also common, together representing 21.3% of all fixed-object impacts.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 10,372 vehicles, followed by Sport Utility Vehicles with 3,882. Medium to heavy trucks were involved in 421 incidents, representing 2.4% of all vehicles, while motorcycles accounted for 1.0% (187 vehicles).

Analysis of traffic controls present at crash locations shows that a majority of vehicles (66.0%) were involved in incidents where no control device was present. Locations with traffic signals accounted for 25.0% of vehicles in crashes, while those with stop signs accounted for 7.9%.

Among crashes involving motorcyclists or vulnerable road users, there were 183 motorcyclists, 113 pedestrians, and 59 bicyclists. Combined, pedestrians and bicyclists made up 48.5% of these specific incidents, totaling 172 individuals.

The most common contributing driver action cited was 'Followed Too Closely,' which was noted for 2,792 drivers. This was followed by 'Failed to Keep in Proper Lane' (1,671 drivers) and 'Failed to Yield Right-of-Way' (983 drivers).

Excluding drivers noted as 'Apparently Normal,' the most frequently recorded condition was driving 'Under the Influence of Medications/Drugs/Alcohol,' documented for 238 drivers. Other cited conditions included being 'Asleep or Fatigued' (136 drivers) and 'Emotional' (63 drivers).

The most common pre-crash action for vehicles was proceeding 'Straight Ahead,' which was the case for 44.1% of vehicles involved (7,879). The next most frequent actions were being 'Stopped in Traffic' (1,979 vehicles) and 'Slowing' (1,306 vehicles).

The front of the vehicle, designated as 'Sector 12 (North),' was the most common point of impact, recorded for 4,936 vehicles, or 27.6% of the total. The rear of the vehicle, 'Sector 6 (South),' was the second most frequent impact point, accounting for 3,592 vehicles (20.1%).

Among pedestrians and cyclists involved in crashes, 69 were determined to have taken 'No Improper Action.' The most common improper actions cited were 'In Roadway Improperly' and 'Failure to Obey Traffic Signs, Signals, or Officer,' each recorded for 19 individuals. Other actions included 'Failure to Yield Right-Of-Way' (14 individuals) and 'Dart/Dash' (9 individuals).

The most frequent type of collision was 'Front to rear,' which accounted for 3,476 crashes, or 37.1% of all incidents with a specified collision manner. Angle collisions were the second most common type, representing 1,826 crashes (19.5%).

Of the 23,689 individuals involved in crashes, the majority were drivers (16,773 persons, or 70.8%). Passengers constituted the next largest group with 5,677 individuals (23.9%). The data also includes 117 pedestrians and 62 bicyclists.

Across all 23,689 people involved in crashes, 37 individuals sustained fatal injuries (0.16% of all persons). A total of 3,335 people were injured, representing 14.1% of all participants. The largest group, 19,398 individuals, reported no injuries.

Among motor vehicle occupants where safety equipment use was recorded, the vast majority (16,396) used a shoulder and lap belt. A total of 340 occupants were recorded as using no restraint system, accounting for 1.75% of this group.

The majority of incidents, 7,121 crashes or 76.1% of the total, involved two vehicles. Single-vehicle crashes accounted for 17.5% of the total, with 1,640 incidents. There was one crash reported involving six vehicles.