9,785 CRASHES IN
CONNECTICUT, CT
MAY 2018

During this period, motorists comprised the largest group of casualties, with 21 fatalities and 3,254 injuries. Among vulnerable road users, there were 5 pedestrian fatalities and 97 pedestrian injuries. While no cyclists were killed, 31 sustained injuries in crashes.

Crash occurrences peaked on Thursdays, with 1,701 incidents reported. The most frequent time for crashes was the 5 PM hour, which saw 942 events, aligning with evening commute times. Overall, the data indicates a strong daytime pattern, with 81.1% of all crashes (7,935) occurring during daylight hours.

The vast majority of crashes, 74.8%, resulted in no injuries. Crashes involving injuries accounted for 25.2% of the total, distributed among possible (14.3%), minor (9.5%), and serious (1.1%) injury categories. There were 25 fatal crashes during this period, which resulted in a total of 26 fatalities.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 25 fatal crash events resulted in 26 persons killed.

The majority of crashes occurred in ideal driving conditions, with 80.8% happening in clear weather and 83.1% on dry road surfaces. Similarly, 81.1% of incidents took place during daylight hours. Crashes in adverse conditions included 1,210 incidents during rain and 1,569 on wet roads.

Analysis of persons involved in crashes shows the 26-34 age group was the most represented, with 4,140 individuals. Among the 18,717 vehicles involved, the most frequent makes were Honda (1,853 vehicles), Ford (1,717), and Toyota (1,708). Other common makes included Nissan (1,396) and Chevrolet (972).

The highest number of crashes, 2,906 or 29.7% of the total, occurred in zones with a posted speed limit of 25 mph. Within this speed zone, 0.17% of crashes were fatal. The data indicates that the percentage of crashes resulting in a fatality tends to increase with the speed limit; for example, 0.43% of crashes in 35 mph zones were fatal, and this figure rose to 0.69% in 45 mph zones.

Crash distribution across Connecticut counties shows a concentration in the state's most populous areas. Fairfield County recorded the highest number of crashes with 3,040 incidents, accounting for 31.1% of the statewide total. New Haven County followed with 2,775 crashes (28.4%), and Hartford County had 2,359 crashes (24.1%).

Among Connecticut's municipalities, New Haven experienced the highest volume of traffic incidents with 681 crashes, representing 7.0% of the state's total for the month. Other cities with high crash counts include Waterbury with 514 crashes (5.3%), Hartford with 508 (5.2%), and both Stamford and Bridgeport with 474 crashes each.

Arterial roads accounted for the majority of crashes, with 2,614 on Minor Arterials and 2,166 on Principal Arterials. Combined, these arterial routes were the location for over half of all incidents where road class was identified. Limited-access highways, including Interstates (1,340 crashes) and Freeways/Expressways (733 crashes), collectively represented 22.7% of these crashes.

Analysis by route system indicates that 58.7% of crashes occurred on state-maintained roadways, including State routes (3,193 crashes), Interstates (1,309), and US Routes (945). The remaining 41.3% of incidents took place on local roads, which fall under municipal jurisdiction.

Of the crashes where roadway ownership was documented, the vast majority (9,186) occurred on public roads. A total of 398 crashes, or 4.2% of this subset, took place on private property such as parking lots or private drives.

The data shows a significant disparity in crash locations based on area type, with 8,737 crashes occurring in urban areas. Crashes in rural areas accounted for 4.2% of the total, with 383 incidents recorded.

The majority of crashes, 6,404, did not occur at an intersection. Of the 34.4% of crashes that did happen at a junction, the most common types were four-way intersections (1,581 crashes) and T-intersections (1,575 crashes).

Among crashes involving a collision with a fixed object, the most frequently struck items were categorized as 'Other Fixed Object' (209 incidents), followed by guardrail faces (173) and utility poles or light supports (159). Collisions with poles and trees combined (utility poles, other posts, and standing trees) accounted for 34.2% of all fixed-object impacts.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 11,239 of the vehicles. Sport utility vehicles were the second most frequent with 3,911, followed by pickup trucks with 1,233. Notably, medium or heavy trucks were involved in 445 incidents (2.4% of vehicles), while motorcycles were involved in 162.

Data on traffic controls present at crash locations indicates that a majority of involved vehicles (66.4%) were in areas with no control device. Approximately 24.4% of vehicles were at locations controlled by a traffic signal. Stop signs were present for 1,407 of the involved vehicles.

Crashes in this period involved 304 vulnerable road users and motorcyclists. Motorcyclists were the largest group with 157 incidents. Combined, pedestrians (113 incidents) and bicyclists (34 incidents) accounted for 147 of these crashes, representing 48.4% of this specific group.

The most frequently cited driver action contributing to a crash was 'Followed Too Closely,' which was noted for 3,165 drivers, or 17.8% of all drivers. Other common actions included 'Failed to Keep in Proper Lane' (9.3% of drivers) and 'Failed to Yield Right-of-Way' (5.8% of drivers).

While most drivers were recorded as 'Apparently Normal,' a number of adverse conditions were noted. The most common was driving under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol, attributed to 253 drivers. Additionally, 159 drivers were identified as asleep or fatigued, and 91 were noted as being in an emotional state.

The most common pre-crash action for vehicles was 'Straight Ahead,' accounting for 44.9% of all vehicle actions recorded. A significant number of vehicles were either 'Stopped in Traffic' (12.3%) or 'Slowing' (8.0%) immediately prior to the collision.

Analysis of the initial point of impact shows that the front of the vehicle was the most common area, with 5,368 impacts recorded at 'Sector 12 (North)'. This represents 28.7% of all vehicle impacts. The second most frequent impact point was the rear of the vehicle ('Sector 6 (South)'), which was struck in 3,988 instances, or 21.3% of the total.

Among the 136 pedestrians and cyclists for whom an action was recorded, 58 were determined to have taken 'No Improper Action'. The most common contributing action noted was 'In Roadway Improperly' with 22 instances. This was followed by 'Failure to Yield Right-Of-Way' (16 instances) and 'Dart/Dash' (11 instances).

The most prevalent type of crash was a front-to-rear collision, which accounted for 3,847 incidents, or 39.3% of all crashes. Angle collisions were the second most common manner of collision, with 1,883 incidents (19.2%), followed by sideswipes in the same direction at 1,346 incidents (13.8%).

Of the 24,629 individuals involved in crashes, the majority were drivers, accounting for 17,823 people or 72.4% of the total. Passengers made up the next largest group with 5,589 individuals (22.7%). The data also includes 119 pedestrians and 34 bicyclists.

Across all 24,629 people involved in crashes, a total of 3,382 individuals sustained some level of injury, representing 13.7% of all persons. This includes 130 serious injuries, 1,235 minor injuries, and 2,017 possible injuries. There were 26 fatalities recorded, accounting for 0.11% of all individuals involved.

Among vehicle occupants where safety equipment use was documented, the vast majority (17,241) were reported as using a shoulder and lap belt. There were 384 occupants recorded as using no restraint system, which constitutes 1.9% of this group. Additionally, various forms of child restraints were used for 674 occupants.

The majority of incidents were two-vehicle crashes, totaling 7,579, while single-vehicle crashes accounted for 1,601 incidents (16.4% of the total). A small number of multi-vehicle pile-ups occurred, including one crash involving ten vehicles and another involving seven.