978 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

Motor vehicle occupants represented all 7 fatalities and the vast majority of injuries, with 254 motorists injured in 2015. While there were no fatalities among vulnerable road users, 4 pedestrians and 7 cyclists sustained injuries. These incidents highlight the risks faced by all road users in the county.

Crash occurrences in Cerro Gordo County peaked on Fridays, which saw 200 incidents in 2015. The most common time for crashes was the 4 p.m. hour, with 92 events, followed closely by the 5 p.m. hour with 87 events, indicating a strong correlation with the evening commute. Analysis of lighting conditions shows that a majority of crashes, 614 in total, occurred during daylight hours.

The vast majority of crashes, 771 out of 978 (78.8%), resulted in no injuries. Crashes involving injuries accounted for 20.6% of the total, with severities ranging from possible (126 crashes) to serious (12 crashes). There were 6 fatal crashes recorded, which resulted in a total of 7 fatalities, underscoring that a single crash event can lead to multiple deaths.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 6 fatal crash events resulted in 7 persons killed.

Collisions involving an animal were the leading contributing factor in crashes, accounting for 154 incidents or 15.7% of the total. Other significant factors included following too closely (75 crashes), failure to yield the right-of-way from a stop sign (68 crashes), and driving too fast for conditions (66 crashes). Driver distraction was also a notable contributor, with 'inattentive/lost in thought' and 'other interior distraction' combining for 59 crashes.

A majority of crashes occurred in ideal driving conditions, with 62.8% (614 crashes) happening in daylight and 58.0% (567 crashes) on dry road surfaces. Clear weather was reported for 506 incidents. Adverse conditions still played a role, with 113 crashes on wet roads and 139 crashes on roads affected by snow, ice, or slush.

The analysis of persons involved in crashes shows the highest representation among older age groups, with the 55-64 age bracket accounting for 302 individuals and the 65+ bracket for 297. Among the 1,720 vehicles involved, Ford was the most frequent make with 319 vehicles. Chevrolet (including 'CHEV' and 'CHEVROLET' variants) was also prominent, with a combined total of 391 vehicles, followed by Dodge with 125 vehicles.

The primary causes of crashes, as coded by the Iowa DOT, point to specific driver behaviors and environmental factors. Collisions with animals were the single largest cause, cited in 154 incidents. Driver errors followed, including 'Followed too close' (75 crashes), 'Failure to Yield from a stop sign' (68 crashes), and 'Driving too fast for conditions' (66 crashes).

The most common first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in traffic, which occurred in 606 of the 978 crashes. The second most frequent event was a collision with an animal, accounting for 150 incidents. Run-off-road events were also common, with crashes involving a ditch (29), a utility pole (9), or a traffic sign support (7) as the first harmful event.

Crashes were most likely to occur on non-intersection road segments, which accounted for 417 incidents. Four-way intersections were the second most common location, with 265 crashes recorded. Driveway-related incidents, both within and near driveways, contributed to a combined 50 crashes, while T-intersections were the site of 45 crashes.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 826 of the 1,720 total vehicles. Sport utility vehicles (338) and four-tire light trucks or pickups (277) were also frequently involved. Commercial vehicles like tractor/semi-trailers were involved in 44 crashes, while motorcycles were involved in 11.

Analysis of traffic controls present at crash locations shows that for a majority of vehicles involved, no controls were present (872 of 1,720 vehicles). Where traffic controls were a factor, traffic signals were most common, being present for 425 vehicles. Stop signs were the next most frequent control device, present for 213 vehicles involved in collisions.

The front of the vehicle was the most common area of impact, recorded in 431 instances. This aligns with the high number of rear-end collisions, which is further supported by the 220 vehicles damaged in the rear. Side impacts were also significant, with 114 vehicles sustaining damage to the driver-side middle and 89 to the passenger-side middle.

Impairment was suspected in a subset of crashes, with alcohol being the factor in 22 instances and drugs in 3. These incidents correspond to 19 crashes officially coded as DUI-related, representing 1.9% of all crashes in the county. It is important to note that impairment is often under-reported, so these figures should be considered a minimum.

Within Cerro Gordo County, Mason City recorded the highest number of incidents with 608 crashes, followed by Clear Lake with 121. Other municipalities such as Ventura and Rockwell reported 12 and 7 crashes respectively. Notably, 221 crashes occurred in unincorporated areas of the county, outside of any city's jurisdiction.

The overwhelming majority of crashes, 949 in total, occurred on paved roadways. Crashes on unpaved surfaces like gravel or dirt roads accounted for 25 incidents, representing approximately 2.6% of crashes where the road surface type was specified. This reflects the prevalence of paved infrastructure where most traffic volume is concentrated.

In cases where a roadway factor was identified as a contributor, poor surface condition (such as wet or icy roads) was the leading issue, cited in 119 crashes. Work zones were a contributing factor in 7 crashes, as was a slippery, loose, or worn road surface. Debris in the roadway and traffic backups each contributed to 3 crashes.

While most drivers were recorded as 'apparently normal,' several other conditions were noted as potential factors. Driving under the influence of alcohol was the most cited condition with 25 drivers, followed by 16 drivers who were noted as asleep or fatigued. An emotional state, such as being depressed or angry, was recorded for 11 drivers involved in crashes.

The estimated property damage for the majority of crashes fell within the $1,500 to $7,500 range, which applied to 739 incidents. A smaller but significant number of crashes, 193, resulted in damages estimated between $7,500 and $25,000. High-damage crashes, with costs exceeding $25,000, accounted for 19 incidents, or approximately 1.9% of the total.

Single-vehicle, non-collision events such as running off the road or overturning were the most frequent type of crash, accounting for 247 incidents (25.3%). Rear-end collisions were a close second, with 231 crashes (23.6%). Broadside, or front-to-side, collisions were the third most common manner of collision, occurring in 181 cases (18.5%).

The most common pre-crash action for vehicles was moving essentially straight, which was the case for 939 of the 1,720 vehicles involved. Turning left was the second most frequent action, recorded for 178 vehicles. Additionally, 118 vehicles were stopped in traffic at the time of the collision.

For the 11 pedestrians and cyclists involved in crashes, the most common action was entering or crossing the roadway, which was recorded in 6 instances. Three individuals were moving along the roadway with the flow of traffic. One was moving along the roadway against traffic.

Of the 2,001 individuals involved in crashes, the vast majority were drivers, accounting for 1,927 people or 96.3% of the total. Passengers made up a smaller portion with 63 individuals. Vulnerable road users included 7 bicyclists and 4 pedestrians.

Across all 2,001 people involved in crashes, 7 individuals sustained fatal injuries and 265 sustained non-fatal injuries. The majority of injuries were classified as 'Possible' (173 people) or 'Minor' (78 people), while 14 people suffered serious injuries. In total, 13.6% of all persons involved in crashes were either injured or killed.

Among the limited sample where safety equipment use was recorded, 170 individuals were noted as using a shoulder and lap belt. Fifteen individuals were recorded as using no safety equipment. While the data is not comprehensive for all participants, of those with a recorded status, 7.9% were not using any form of restraint.

The most common type of crash involved two vehicles, accounting for 632 incidents. Single-vehicle crashes were also frequent, with 298 incidents representing 30.5% of the total. While most multi-vehicle crashes involved three vehicles (42 incidents), a few larger pile-ups were recorded, including two crashes involving six vehicles and one involving seven vehicles.