10,327 CRASHES IN
CONNECTICUT, CT
OCTOBER 2018

Of the 24 total fatalities, 15 were motor-vehicle occupants and 9 were pedestrians. No bicyclists were killed. Among the 3,512 people injured, 3,333 were motorists, 135 were pedestrians, and 44 were bicyclists. Pedestrians represented a significant portion of fatalities, accounting for 37.5% of all traffic deaths in this period.

Crash frequencies peaked midweek, with Wednesday recording the highest number of incidents at 1,788. The most common time for crashes was the 4 p.m. hour, with 906 events, aligning with the afternoon commute. Overall, data indicates that 69% of all crashes (7,123) occurred during daylight hours.

The majority of crashes, 75.6% (7,808), resulted in no injuries. The remaining incidents involved possible (13.9%), minor (9.2%), or serious (1.0%) injuries. There were 23 distinct fatal crashes, which resulted in a total of 24 fatalities, as a single crash can involve more than one death.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 23 fatal crash events resulted in 24 persons killed.

A substantial majority of crashes occurred under ideal driving conditions. Data shows that 78% of incidents happened in clear weather, 80% on dry road surfaces, and 69% during daylight hours. Conversely, 1,440 crashes were recorded in rain and 1,993 occurred on wet roads, representing the most common adverse conditions.

Among the 25,935 people involved in crashes, the 26-34 age group was the most represented, with 4,382 individuals. The most frequently involved vehicle makes were Honda (2,020 vehicles), Toyota (1,961 vehicles), and Ford (1,813 vehicles). These three makes combined account for a significant portion of the vehicles in reported collisions.

The most crashes, 3,120 or 30.2% of the total, occurred in zones with a posted speed limit of 25 mph. While lower-speed zones saw more crashes, the percentage of crashes that were fatal tended to increase with the speed limit. For instance, 0.19% of crashes in 25 mph zones were fatal, compared to 0.62% of crashes in 65 mph zones.

Crash distribution was heavily concentrated in three counties, which together accounted for over 83% of all incidents statewide. Fairfield County had the most crashes with 3,088 (29.9%), followed by New Haven County with 2,849 (27.6%), and Hartford County with 2,665 (25.8%). The remaining five counties each recorded fewer than 600 crashes.

Connecticut's most populous cities saw the highest number of traffic incidents in October 2018. Hartford recorded the most crashes with 681, followed by New Haven with 660, and Bridgeport with 565. These three cities alone accounted for 1,906 crashes, representing 18.5% of the statewide total.

Crashes were most frequent on arterial roads, with 2,885 on Minor Arterials and 2,337 on Principal Arterials. Combined, these two classes accounted for over half of all crashes. Limited-access highways, including Interstates (1,435 crashes) and Freeways/Expressways (790 crashes), made up approximately 21.5% of the total incidents.

Analysis of roadway ownership shows a split between state-maintained and local roads. A total of 5,791 crashes occurred on state-maintained routes (Interstate, US, and State routes). In comparison, 4,045 crashes were recorded on local roads, highlighting the distribution of incidents across different jurisdictional responsibilities.

Of the crashes where roadway ownership was documented, the vast majority occurred on public roads. A total of 9,769 incidents were on public roadways, while 381 crashes, or approximately 3.7% of the specified total, took place on private property such as parking lots or private drives.

The data indicates a strong urban concentration of traffic incidents. Of the crashes with a specified location type, 9,341 occurred in urban areas. In contrast, 396 crashes, representing about 4.1% of the total, were recorded in rural areas.

The majority of crashes, 6,705 incidents, did not occur at an intersection. Approximately 34.8% of crashes happened at a junction, with four-way intersections (1,806 crashes) and T-intersections (1,587 crashes) being the most common types. Roundabouts and traffic circles accounted for a combined total of 20 crashes.

Among crashes involving a collision with a fixed object, the most frequently struck items were guardrail faces (244 incidents), other fixed objects like walls or buildings (204), and utility poles or light supports (184). Combined, collisions with utility poles (184) and trees (106) accounted for 290 run-off-road crashes.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 11,710 vehicles, followed by Sport Utility Vehicles with 4,162. The data also includes involvement of 479 medium or heavy trucks, 87 motorcycles, and a combined 207 school and transit buses, which are notable due to their potential for higher-severity outcomes.

The most common scenario recorded for traffic control was 'No Control Device,' which was noted in 12,821 instances at the vehicle level. Locations with a 'Traffic Control Signal' were the next most frequent, with 5,019 vehicle involvements. Crashes at intersections with stop signs were also common, with 1,460 vehicle involvements noted.

A total of 299 crashes involved pedestrians, bicyclists, or motorcyclists. Of these, pedestrians were involved in 159 incidents and bicyclists in 57, for a combined vulnerable road user total of 216 crashes. Motorcyclists were involved in the remaining 83 crashes.

Excluding drivers with no contributing action, the most common action cited was 'Followed Too Closely,' attributed to 3,245 drivers. This was followed by 'Failed to Keep in Proper Lane' with 1,855 drivers and 'Failed to Yield Right-of-Way' with 1,135 drivers. These three actions represent the leading driver-related factors in collisions.

While most drivers were recorded as 'Apparently Normal,' several other conditions were noted. A total of 245 drivers were believed to be under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol. Additionally, 129 drivers were identified as asleep or fatigued, and 100 were noted as being emotional.

The most common pre-crash action for vehicles was 'Straight Ahead,' recorded for 8,749 vehicles, or 44.5% of the total. The next most frequent actions were 'Stopped in Traffic' (2,327 vehicles) and 'Turning Left' (1,533 vehicles). These actions describe the movement of vehicles immediately prior to the collision event.

Analysis of vehicle impact points shows that frontal collisions were most common. The front of the vehicle, designated as 'Sector 12,' was the point of impact for 5,616 vehicles. The second most common impact area was the rear of the vehicle ('Sector 6'), which was struck in 3,988 instances.

Among pedestrians involved in crashes where an action was recorded, 100 were determined to have committed 'No Improper Action.' For those with improper actions noted, the most frequent were 'Failure to Yield Right-Of-Way' (25 pedestrians), 'In Roadway Improperly' (18), and 'Dart/Dash' (17).

The most prevalent type of crash was 'Front to rear,' which accounted for 3,966 incidents, or 38.4% of all crashes. The next most common patterns were 'Angle' collisions (1,991 crashes) and 'Sideswipe, same direction' (1,461 crashes). These three types make up the vast majority of multi-vehicle collisions.

Of the 25,935 individuals involved in crashes, the majority were drivers, accounting for 18,728 people (72.2%). Passengers constituted the second-largest group with 5,969 individuals (23.0%). The records also include 172 pedestrians and 58 bicyclists involved in these traffic incidents.

Out of 25,935 people involved in crashes, 24 sustained fatal injuries and 3,512 sustained some level of injury (serious, minor, or possible). This means approximately 13.6% of all individuals involved were either injured or killed. The vast majority of people, 21,536, were recorded as having no injuries.

Among vehicle occupants where safety equipment use was recorded, 'Shoulder and Lap Belt Used' was the most common entry with 17,724 individuals. However, it was noted that 503 occupants were not using any form of restraint. This represents approximately 2.4% of occupants with a specified restraint status.

The data shows that two-vehicle crashes were the most common type, accounting for 7,879 incidents (76.3% of all crashes). Single-vehicle crashes were the next most frequent, with 1,797 incidents, or 17.4% of the total. Crashes involving three or more vehicles were less common, with 567 three-vehicle pile-ups recorded.