10,025 CRASHES IN
CONNECTICUT, CT
OCTOBER 2015

Motor vehicle occupants accounted for the largest number of casualties, with 25 motorists killed and 3,242 injured. Vulnerable road users also suffered significant harm, with 3 pedestrians and 1 cyclist killed. Additionally, 115 pedestrians and 57 cyclists sustained injuries in crashes during this period.

Crash frequency peaked on Fridays, which saw 2,061 incidents, and during the 3 PM hour, with 813 crashes. A distinct daily pattern emerged, with crashes rising during the morning commute and reaching a higher peak in the afternoon between 3 PM and 5 PM. Crashes during daylight hours (6,966) were more than double those occurring in dark, dusk, or dawn conditions combined (2,903).

Of the 10,025 crashes, the majority (75.4%) resulted in no apparent injuries. Injury-involved crashes, including serious, minor, and possible injuries, accounted for 24.3% of all incidents. There were 28 separate fatal crashes during this period, which resulted in a total of 29 fatalities.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 28 fatal crash events resulted in 29 persons killed.

The vast majority of crashes occurred in ideal driving conditions. Specifically, 82.5% of incidents happened in clear weather, 84.0% on dry road surfaces, and 69.5% during daylight hours. Crashes in adverse conditions were less frequent, with 1,209 incidents occurring during rain and 1,510 on wet roads.

The analysis of persons involved in crashes shows the 26-34 age group was the most represented, with 4,253 individuals, followed by the 45-54 age group with 3,689 individuals. Among the 19,124 vehicles involved, the most frequent makes recorded were Honda (2,216), Toyota (2,048), and Ford (1,866).

The highest number of crashes, 2,986 (29.8% of the total), occurred in zones with a posted speed limit of 25 mph. While lower speed zones had more crashes, the percentage of crashes that were fatal tended to increase with speed. For instance, 0.13% of crashes in 25 mph zones were fatal, compared to 0.83% in 65 mph zones and a notable 0.90% in 45 mph zones.

Crash distribution was concentrated in three counties, which together accounted for nearly 75% of all incidents statewide. Fairfield County had the highest volume with 2,826 crashes (28.2% of the total). New Haven County followed with 2,428 crashes (24.2%), and Hartford County recorded 2,233 crashes (22.3%).

The highest concentration of crashes occurred in Connecticut's largest urban centers. New Haven recorded the most incidents with a combined 700 crashes (7.0% of the state total). Bridgeport followed with 542 crashes (5.4%), Waterbury with 514 (5.1%), Hartford with 494 (4.9%), and Stamford with 469 (4.7%).

Among crashes where road class was specified, Minor Arterials saw the highest number of incidents with 426. Limited-access highways, including Interstates (227 crashes) and Freeways/Expressways (177 crashes), collectively accounted for 404 crashes in this subset. Local roads were the site of 317 crashes.

Analysis of the route system indicates that a majority of crashes occurred on state-maintained roadways. State routes, US Routes, and Interstates collectively accounted for 5,677 crashes, or 59.3% of the total where system was identified. Local roads were the location for the remaining 3,890 incidents (40.7%).

Where roadway ownership was recorded, the vast majority of crashes occurred on public roads, totaling 9,373 incidents. Crashes on private property, such as in parking lots or on private drives, accounted for 387 incidents, representing 4.0% of this group.

Of the crashes where the geographic context was specified, 1,463 occurred in urban areas. Rural areas accounted for 176 crashes, representing 10.7% of this subset.

The majority of crashes, 6,850 incidents, occurred at locations not classified as intersections. The remaining 3,144 crashes (31.5%) took place at or near junctions. Among these, four-way intersections (1,497 crashes) and T-intersections (1,419 crashes) were the most common sites for collisions.

Among crashes involving a vehicle striking a fixed object, the most commonly hit objects were miscellaneous fixed structures like walls or buildings (222 incidents), guardrail faces (208), and utility poles or light supports (193). Collisions with utility poles and trees combined accounted for 318 incidents, representing 23.1% of all reported fixed-object crashes.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 12,269 vehicles. Sport Utility Vehicles (3,209) and Pick Up trucks (1,153) were also frequently involved. Notably, 516 medium or heavy trucks, 192 buses of various types, and 110 motorcycles were recorded in these incidents.

The data indicates that a majority of vehicles involved in crashes, 12,769 in total, were at locations with no traffic control device present. A significant number, 4,670 vehicles, were involved in crashes at locations with a traffic signal. Crashes at intersections controlled by stop signs involved 1,206 vehicles.

This period saw 311 crashes involving a vulnerable road user or motorcyclist. Pedestrians were involved in 139 of these incidents, and bicyclists in 68, for a combined total of 207 crashes involving vulnerable users. Motorcyclists were involved in the remaining 104 crashes.

Among drivers for whom a contributing action was cited, 'Followed Too Closely' was the most common factor, attributed to 3,236 drivers. Other prevalent actions included 'Failed to Keep in Proper Lane' (1,486 drivers) and 'Failed to Yield Right-of-Way' (1,019 drivers). These three actions represent a majority of specified driver errors in the dataset.

While most drivers were recorded as 'Apparently Normal,' a total of 727 drivers were noted as having a specific condition at the time of the crash. The most cited condition was being 'Under the Influence of Medications/Drugs/Alcohol,' which was recorded for 284 drivers. Other noted conditions included being 'Asleep or Fatigued' (154 drivers) and 'Emotional' (116 drivers).

The most common pre-crash action for vehicles was proceeding 'Straight Ahead,' which was the case for 8,616 vehicles (45.1% of all involved). A significant number of vehicles were either 'Stopped in Traffic' (2,272) or 'Slowing' (1,560) just prior to the collision. 'Turning Left' was the fourth most common action, recorded for 1,408 vehicles.

The front of the vehicle was the most frequent point of initial impact, recorded in 5,574 instances and representing 29.1% of all vehicle impacts. The rear of the vehicle was the second most common impact point, with 4,252 instances (22.2%). These two locations account for over half of all initial impacts.

For the 206 pedestrians with a recorded pre-crash action, 'No Improper Action' was noted in 94 cases. Among specified improper actions, 'Failure to Yield Right-Of-Way' was cited for 21 pedestrians. This was followed by 'Failure to Obey Traffic Signs, Signals, or Officer' for 18 pedestrians.

The most prevalent type of collision was 'Front to rear,' accounting for 4,048 crashes, or 40.4% of all incidents with a specified manner. Angle collisions were the second most common type with 1,810 crashes (18.1%), followed by 'Sideswipe, same direction' collisions with 1,349 crashes (13.5%).

Of the 25,549 individuals involved in crashes, the majority were drivers, accounting for 18,140 people (71.0%). Passengers made up the next largest group with 6,065 individuals (23.7%). Vulnerable road users, including 153 pedestrians and 70 bicyclists, were also involved.

Across all 25,549 people involved in crashes, 3,443 individuals sustained some level of injury or were fatally wounded, representing 13.5% of all participants. This includes 29 fatalities, 129 serious injuries, 1,184 minor injuries, and 2,101 possible injuries. The vast majority, 21,117 people, were recorded as having no injuries.

Among vehicle occupants where safety equipment use was documented, 'Shoulder and Lap Belt Used' was the most common status, reported for 18,029 individuals. A total of 651 occupants were recorded as using no restraint system at all. Various forms of child restraints, including forward-facing, rear-facing, and booster seats, were used by a combined 653 children.

The vast majority of incidents, 7,528 crashes or 75.1% of the total, involved two vehicles. Single-vehicle crashes accounted for 1,808 incidents, or 18.0% of the total. Multi-vehicle collisions involving three or more vehicles were less common, with the largest pile-ups involving 7 vehicles.