214 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

In 2015, there were no fatalities recorded for any road user type. A total of 75 individuals sustained injuries. The majority of these were motorists, with 71 injured. Additionally, 2 pedestrians and 1 cyclist were injured in traffic crashes during this period.

Crashes in Clarke County during 2015 peaked on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with 34 incidents reported on each of those days. The most common time for a crash was the 5 p.m. hour, which saw 21 crashes. While 96 crashes (44.9%) occurred in daylight, crashes in darkness were more frequent on unlighted roadways (37 crashes) than on lighted ones (21 crashes).

Of the 214 total crashes, 155 (72.4%) resulted in no injuries, making them property-damage-only events. The remaining 59 crashes involved injuries, with 10 (4.7%) classified as serious injury crashes, 22 (10.3%) as minor injury crashes, and 27 (12.6%) as possible injury crashes. There were no fatal crashes recorded in 2015.

The predominant contributing factor to crashes was contact with an animal, cited in 63 of the 214 incidents (29.4%). The next most common factors were vehicles running off a straight road (15 crashes, 7.0%) and drivers losing control (13 crashes, 6.1%). Failure to yield from a stop sign, exceeding the authorized speed, and following too closely each accounted for 10 crashes (4.7% each).

A substantial number of crashes occurred in what appeared to be ideal driving conditions. Specifically, 99 crashes (46.3%) happened in clear weather, and 106 (49.5%) occurred on dry road surfaces. Daylight was the lighting condition for 96 crashes (44.9%). In contrast, 21 crashes (9.8%) took place during rain, and 30 (14.0%) occurred on wet roads.

Analysis of persons involved in crashes shows the highest representation among the 16-20 age group (59 people), 26-34 age group (58 people), and 21-25 age group (51 people). The most frequent vehicle makes involved were Ford (49 vehicles) and Chevrolet (a combined 67 vehicles listed as 'CHEV' and 'CHEVROLET'). Dodge vehicles were also common, with a combined 37 vehicles involved.

The most frequently cited major cause for crashes was 'Animal,' accounting for 63 incidents. 'Ran off road - straight' was the second-leading cause with 15 crashes, followed by 'Lost Control' with 13 crashes. Other notable causes included 'Exceeded authorized speed,' 'FTYROW: From stop sign,' and 'Followed too close,' each contributing to 10 crashes.

The most common first harmful event was a 'Collision with: Animal,' which occurred in 63 crashes. The second most frequent event was a 'Collision with: Vehicle in traffic,' recorded in 58 incidents. Single-vehicle events were also prominent, including 18 overturn/rollover crashes and 16 crashes where the first harmful event was a collision with a ditch.

The majority of crashes, 97 out of 214, occurred on non-intersection road segments. For crashes at intersections, four-way intersections were the most common location with 19 incidents, followed by T-intersections with 12 incidents. An additional 14 crashes were related to driveway access.

Passenger cars were the most prevalent vehicle type involved in crashes, with 149 units recorded. Four-tire light trucks or pickups were the second most common with 61 units, followed by Sport Utility Vehicles with 47 units. There were 13 tractor/semi-trailers involved in crashes during this period.

A significant majority of crashes, 201 out of 214, occurred at locations with no traffic controls present. Where traffic controls were in place, stop signs were the most common type, associated with 26 crashes. Traffic signals were present at the location of 12 crashes.

The front of the vehicle was the most common area of damage, reported in 60 cases. This was followed by damage to the driver's side middle area (23 cases), the front passenger side corner (20 cases), and the front driver side corner (19 cases). This distribution points to a prevalence of frontal and angle impacts.

Of the crashes occurring within city limits in Clarke County, the vast majority were in Osceola, which recorded 93 incidents. The towns of Murray and Woodburn each had only one crash reported. This indicates that most municipal crashes in the county are concentrated in Osceola.

Crashes predominantly occurred on paved roadways, accounting for 185 incidents. A notable minority of 26 crashes, representing 12.1% of the total, took place on unpaved surfaces such as gravel or dirt roads.

When a roadway factor was identified as a contributor, the most common was 'Surface condition (e.g. wet, icy),' which was noted in 22 crashes. 'Slippery, loose or worn surface' was cited in 3 crashes, and roadway work zones were a factor in 2 incidents.

Among drivers for whom a condition other than 'apparently normal' was recorded, 8 were noted as being under the influence of alcohol. Additionally, 7 drivers were recorded as asleep or fatigued, and one was under the influence of drugs or medication.

The most common estimated cost of property damage fell within the $1,500 to $7,500 range, which described 167 crashes. A smaller number of crashes resulted in higher damage, with 36 incidents causing between $7,500 and $25,000 in damage, and 5 crashes exceeding $25,000 in damage.

Single-vehicle, non-collision crashes were the dominant crash type, accounting for 117 of the 214 incidents (54.7%). Among crashes involving multiple vehicles, rear-end collisions were the most frequent with 20 occurrences (9.3%), followed by broadside collisions with 17 occurrences (7.9%).

The most common action immediately preceding a crash was 'Movement essentially straight,' recorded for 155 vehicles. Other frequent pre-crash actions included 'Turning left' (21 vehicles), being 'Legally Parked' (19 vehicles), and 'Backing' (14 vehicles).

Of the 379 individuals involved in crashes, the overwhelming majority, 353, were drivers. Passengers constituted the next largest group with 22 individuals. The remaining people involved included 2 pedestrians, 1 bicyclist, and 1 other non-motorist.

Across all 379 people involved in crashes, 11 sustained serious injuries, 33 suffered minor injuries, and 31 had possible injuries. This indicates that a total of 75 individuals were injured to some degree. The remaining individuals were either not injured or their injury status was not applicable.

Among the individuals for whom safety equipment use was recorded, 45 were documented as using a shoulder and lap belt. In contrast, 13 individuals were recorded as having used no safety equipment at the time of the crash.

Single-vehicle crashes were the most common scenario, with 133 such incidents reported. Crashes involving two vehicles were also frequent, totaling 77 incidents. Multi-vehicle pile-ups were rare, with only 3 crashes involving three vehicles and one crash involving four vehicles.