187 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

In 2015, all crash fatalities and injuries in Allamakee County involved motor vehicle occupants. A total of 3 motorists were killed and 66 were injured. There were no recorded fatalities or injuries involving pedestrians or cyclists during this period.

Crashes in Allamakee County occurred most frequently on Fridays, with 35 incidents recorded in 2015. The peak hour for crashes was 7 p.m., which saw 15 events. While the majority of crashes (96) happened during daylight hours, a substantial number also occurred in darkness, with 49 on unlighted roadways and 9 on lighted ones.

The vast majority of crashes, 74.3% (139 incidents), resulted in no injuries. Injury-related crashes accounted for 24% of the total, comprising 10 serious injury, 18 minor injury, and 17 possible injury crashes. There were 3 fatal crashes during this period, which resulted in a total of 3 fatalities.

The most common contributing factor cited in crashes was 'Animal,' which was involved in 52 incidents, or 27.8% of the total. The second most frequent factor was 'Lost Control,' noted in 28 crashes (15%). Other significant factors included running off a straight road (14 crashes) and driving too fast for conditions (13 crashes).

A majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions, with 55.6% happening in clear weather and 60.4% on dry road surfaces. Over half of the incidents (51.3%) took place during daylight hours. However, adverse road conditions were a factor in a notable number of crashes, including 19 on icy or frosty roads and 16 on snow-covered roads.

The age group most frequently involved in crashes was 16-20 year olds, with 56 individuals recorded. Adults aged 65 and over were also highly represented with 48 individuals, followed closely by those aged 26-34 and 55-64, each with 47 individuals. The most common vehicle makes involved were Chevrolet (75 vehicles), Ford (38 vehicles), and Dodge (28 vehicles).

The leading major cause of crashes was attributed to animals, accounting for 52 incidents. This was followed by drivers losing control, which was cited in 28 crashes. Other primary causes included running off a straight road (14 crashes) and driving too fast for conditions (13 crashes).

The most frequent first harmful event was a collision with an animal, recorded in 51 crashes. This was closely followed by collisions with another vehicle in traffic, which occurred in 49 incidents. A significant number of crashes, 40 in total, involved a vehicle running into a ditch as the first harmful event.

The majority of crashes, totaling 127 incidents or about 68% of all crashes, occurred at non-intersection locations. Crashes at intersections were less common, with 17 occurring at four-way intersections and 12 at T-intersections. Driveway-related incidents accounted for an additional 9 crashes.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, with 95 recorded. Light trucks and pickups were the second most frequent with 63 vehicles, followed by sport utility vehicles with 36. Motorcycles and tractor-trailers were each involved in 7 incidents.

The vast majority of crashes occurred where no traffic controls were present, a factor noted in 186 incidents. Crashes also occurred at locations with stop signs (25 incidents) and traffic signals (9 incidents). The data indicates that the absence of traffic control devices was the most common setting for crashes.

Frontal impacts were the most common type of vehicle damage, with 41 vehicles sustaining damage to the front and 34 to the front driver's side corner. Rear-end damage was noted on 16 vehicles. Damage to the vehicle's side was also common, with 15 vehicles hit on the driver's side middle section.

Within Allamakee County, the city of Waukon had the highest volume of crashes with 40 incidents. Postville was the next most frequent location with 17 crashes. Other municipalities with recorded crashes included Lansing (6), Harpers Ferry (3), and Waterville (2).

Crashes on unpaved roads, such as gravel or dirt surfaces, accounted for 21 incidents, or approximately 11.4% of crashes where the road surface type was specified. The majority of crashes, 163 in total, occurred on paved roadways. This highlights the role of the county's secondary road network in traffic incidents.

In cases where a roadway factor was noted as contributing to a crash, the most common issue was the surface condition, cited in 22 incidents. This includes conditions like wetness or ice. A slippery, loose, or worn surface was the next most frequent factor, contributing to 7 crashes.

The estimated property damage for the majority of crashes (137 incidents) fell within the $1,500 to $7,500 range. A smaller number of crashes resulted in more significant damage, with 38 incidents estimated between $7,500 and $25,000. Seven crashes, representing 3.7% of the total, were estimated to have caused property damage exceeding $25,000.

The most common type of crash was a single-vehicle, non-collision event, such as running off the road or overturning, which accounted for 120 incidents or 64.2% of all crashes. Among multi-vehicle crashes, rear-end collisions were most frequent, with 16 occurrences. Broadside collisions were the next most common type, with 12 incidents recorded.

The vast majority of vehicles involved in crashes, 176 in total, were moving straight ahead prior to the incident. Turning maneuvers were the next most common pre-crash actions, with 17 vehicles turning left and 14 turning right. Backing was the pre-crash action for 9 vehicles involved in collisions.

Of the 321 individuals involved in crashes, the vast majority were drivers, accounting for 300 people. Passengers made up the remaining 21 individuals involved. No pedestrians or cyclists were recorded in any of the crash incidents during this period.

Across all 321 people involved in crashes, 3 suffered fatal injuries. A total of 66 individuals sustained non-fatal injuries, including 10 with serious injuries, 32 with minor injuries, and 24 with possible injuries. Only one person was explicitly recorded with no injuries in this specific breakdown.

Among the 58 individuals for whom safety equipment use was recorded, 15 were reported as using no restraints, representing 25.8% of this subset. The most commonly reported equipment was a shoulder and lap belt, used by 37 individuals. Due to the small number of records, these figures may not be representative of all crash participants.

Single-vehicle crashes were the most common type of incident, accounting for 125 out of 187 crashes, or 66.8% of the total. Two-vehicle collisions were also frequent, with 60 incidents recorded. There were also two crashes that involved three vehicles.