9,743 CRASHES IN
CONNECTICUT, CT
JUNE 2018

In June 2018, vehicle occupants (motorists) accounted for the majority of traffic casualties, with 26 killed and 3,177 injured. Among vulnerable road users, there were 2 pedestrian fatalities and 97 pedestrian injuries. While no cyclists were killed, 60 were injured in collisions during this period.

Crash occurrences in June 2018 showed distinct temporal patterns, with Friday being the most frequent day for incidents, recording 1,870 crashes. The single busiest hour was the 5 p.m. commute, with 858 crashes. Overall, collisions were most common during daylight hours, which saw 7,922 incidents, while the afternoon hours between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. represented a significant peak period.

Of the 9,743 crashes, the vast majority (75.0%) resulted in no injuries. Injury-involved crashes, including serious, minor, and possible injuries, accounted for 2,413 incidents. There were 26 fatal crashes, which resulted in a total of 28 fatalities, indicating that some crashes involved more than one death.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 26 fatal crash events resulted in 28 persons killed.

The majority of crashes occurred in ideal driving conditions. Specifically, 88.0% of incidents (8,578) happened in clear weather, and 90.8% (8,843) occurred on dry road surfaces. Collisions during daylight hours were most frequent, accounting for 7,922 crashes, or 81.3% of the total for the month.

Analysis of persons involved in crashes shows the 26-34 age group was the most represented, with 4,132 individuals. Regarding vehicle makes, Honda was the most frequently involved with 1,892 vehicles recorded in crashes. This was followed by Toyota with 1,685 vehicles and Ford with 1,671 vehicles.

The highest number of crashes, 2,898 incidents, occurred in zones with a posted speed limit of 25 mph. While lower speed zones saw more total crashes, the fatality rate within a zone varied. For instance, 1.474% of crashes in 45 mph zones were fatal, the highest rate recorded, compared to 0.207% in 25 mph zones and 0.592% in 65 mph zones.

Crash distribution across Connecticut was concentrated in its most populous counties. Fairfield County recorded the highest volume with 2,982 crashes, representing 30.6% of the statewide total. New Haven County followed with 2,746 crashes (28.2%), and Hartford County had 2,407 crashes (24.7%).

The highest concentration of crashes occurred in Connecticut's major urban centers. The city of Hartford experienced the most incidents with 659 crashes, accounting for 6.8% of the state's total. New Haven followed closely with 608 crashes (6.2%), and Bridgeport recorded 527 crashes (5.4%).

Arterial roads were the site of the majority of crashes, with minor arterials accounting for 2,587 incidents and principal arterials for 2,064. Combined, these arterial roads represented over half of all crashes where the road class was known. Limited-access highways, including Interstates and Freeways, collectively accounted for 2,099 crashes.

When categorized by route system, 5,427 crashes occurred on state-maintained roadways, including State, Interstate, and US Routes. This accounts for 58.9% of crashes with a known route system. In contrast, locally-owned roads were the location for 3,780 crashes, or 41.1% of the total.

Analysis of roadway ownership indicates that the vast majority of incidents occurred on public roads, with 9,106 crashes. A smaller but notable number of crashes, 428 incidents or 4.5% of the total, took place on private property such as parking lots or private drives.

The data indicates a significant disparity in crash locations based on geographic classification, with 8,680 crashes occurring in urban areas. Crashes in rural areas were far less frequent, accounting for 397 incidents, or 4.4% of all crashes where the classification was recorded.

A majority of crashes, 6,464 incidents, occurred at locations not classified as intersections. The remaining 3,254 crashes happened at or near a junction, with four-way intersections being the most common type (1,629 crashes), followed by T-intersections (1,409 crashes).

Among crashes involving a collision with a fixed object, the most frequently struck object was a guardrail face, involved in 215 incidents. This was followed by utility poles or light supports (197 crashes) and trees (95 crashes). Collisions with poles and trees combined accounted for 399 of these run-off-road events.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 10,971 vehicles, followed by sport utility vehicles with 3,888. Notably, 467 medium or heavy trucks were involved in collisions. Additionally, 213 motorcycles and 143 buses were recorded in crash events during this period.

The majority of vehicles in crashes were at locations with no traffic control device, accounting for 12,399 vehicles. Crashes at locations with a traffic control signal involved 4,451 vehicles. Locations governed by a stop sign were the third most common, with 1,419 vehicles involved in crashes.

Crashes in this period involved 389 vulnerable road users and motorcyclists. Motorcyclists were the largest group with 207 incidents. Pedestrians and bicyclists together accounted for 182 crashes, with 115 involving pedestrians and 67 involving bicyclists.

Among driver actions cited as contributing factors, 'Followed Too Closely' was the most common, attributed to 2,968 drivers. 'Failed to Keep in Proper Lane' was the second most frequent action, noted for 1,778 drivers. 'Failed to Yield Right-of-Way' was cited for 1,014 drivers involved in crashes.

While most drivers were recorded as 'Apparently Normal,' several adverse conditions were noted. Driving under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol was cited for 251 drivers. An additional 173 drivers were identified as being asleep or fatigued at the time of their crash.

The most common pre-crash action for vehicles was 'Straight Ahead,' recorded for 8,265 vehicles, representing 44.3% of all actions. The second most frequent situation involved vehicles that were 'Stopped in Traffic' (2,113 vehicles). 'Turning Left' was the third most common pre-crash maneuver, noted for 1,434 vehicles.

Analysis of the point of impact shows that frontal collisions were the most frequent, with 5,166 vehicles being struck in the front ('Sector 12'). The second most common impact point was the rear of the vehicle ('Sector 6'), which was recorded in 3,779 instances. These two impact types represent the majority of collisions.

While 91 pedestrians involved in crashes were recorded as having taken 'No Improper Action,' several contributing actions were cited for others. The most common improper action was 'Failure to Yield Right-Of-Way,' noted in 18 cases. This was followed by 'In Roadway Improperly' with 16 instances and 'Dart/Dash' with 11 instances.

The most prevalent type of collision was 'Front to rear,' accounting for 3,668 crashes, or 37.6% of the total. Angle collisions were the second most common type with 1,888 incidents (19.4%). 'Sideswipe, same direction' crashes were third, with 1,371 occurrences (14.1%).

Of the 24,531 individuals involved in crashes, the majority were drivers, accounting for 17,635 people. Passengers made up the next largest group with 5,643 individuals. The records also included 124 pedestrians and 68 bicyclists involved in collisions.

Across all 24,531 people involved in crashes, 20,227 (82.5%) sustained no injuries. A total of 3,336 individuals were injured, with severities ranging from possible (1,970) and minor (1,229) to serious (137). The crashes resulted in 28 fatalities, representing 0.11% of all persons involved.

The vast majority of vehicle occupants, 16,958 individuals, were recorded as using a shoulder and lap belt. However, 361 occupants were documented as not using any restraint system at the time of the crash. Additionally, 439 individuals were secured in a forward-facing child restraint system.

The data shows that most crashes involved two vehicles, with 7,454 such incidents recorded. Single-vehicle crashes were the next most common category, accounting for 1,656 incidents, or 17.0% of the total. Multi-vehicle collisions involving three or more vehicles occurred 632 times.