233 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

Motorists comprised the entirety of fatalities, with 4 killed, and accounted for the vast majority of injuries, with 97 injured. In addition to motorists, 2 pedestrians were injured in crashes during this period. No cyclists were reported as killed or injured in 2015.

Crash frequency in Crawford County peaked on Fridays, which saw 47 incidents, while the single busiest hour was 4 p.m., with 19 crashes. A significant majority of collisions, 153 out of 233, occurred during daylight hours. Crashes during periods of darkness, dusk, or dawn collectively accounted for 53 incidents.

Of the 233 crashes, 153 (65.7%) resulted in no injuries, being classified as property-damage-only events. The remaining incidents involved some level of injury, including 47 with possible injuries, 18 with minor injuries, and 11 with serious injuries. Four crashes were classified as fatal, leading to a total of 4 fatalities.

The leading contributing factor identified in crashes was the presence of an animal, cited in 31 incidents (13.3%). Following this, losing control of the vehicle was a factor in 23 crashes (9.9%), and following too closely was noted in 21 crashes (9.0%). Other significant factors included running a stop sign (13 crashes) and failure to yield right-of-way from a stop sign (11 crashes).

The majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions, with 153 (65.7%) happening in daylight, 136 (58.4%) in clear weather, and 134 (57.5%) on dry road surfaces. Adverse weather was a factor in a smaller subset of crashes, including 17 in rain and 15 in snow. Similarly, 27 crashes occurred on wet roads and 37 on surfaces affected by snow, ice, or slush.

Among the 494 people involved in crashes, the 16-20 age group was the most represented with 85 individuals, followed by the 35-44 age group with 75 individuals. Analysis of the 390 vehicles involved shows that Chevrolet was the most frequent make with 88 vehicles, followed by Ford with 66 and Dodge with 42 vehicles.

The most common major cause attributed to crashes was the presence of an animal, accounting for 31 incidents. The second leading cause was a driver losing control of their vehicle, cited in 23 crashes. Following too closely was the third most frequent cause, contributing to 21 crashes.

The most frequent first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in traffic, which occurred in 132 crashes. Collisions involving animals were the second most common event, with 30 incidents. Single-vehicle events were also notable, including 15 overturns or rollovers and 11 crashes where the first harmful event was striking a ditch.

Crashes were more likely to occur away from intersections, with 113 incidents happening on non-junction road segments. Four-way intersections were the most common junction type for crashes, accounting for 57 incidents. T-intersections were the site of 19 crashes.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, with 126 units recorded. Light trucks and pickups were the second most frequent with 104 vehicles, followed by sport utility vehicles (SUVs) with 86. Commercial tractor-trailers were involved in 20 crashes, and motorcycles were involved in 7.

The majority of vehicles involved in crashes were in areas with no traffic controls present, a situation recorded for 253 vehicles. For crashes where traffic controls were present, stop signs were the most common, noted for 56 vehicles. Traffic signals were present for 34 of the vehicles involved in collisions.

Frontal impacts were the most common type of vehicle damage, with the primary point of impact being the front for 76 vehicles. Rear impacts, indicative of rear-end collisions, were the second most common, with 36 vehicles sustaining the most damage to the rear. Damage to the driver's side was also significant, recorded as the most damaged area on 78 vehicles across front, middle, and rear sections.

The highest concentration of crashes within Crawford County occurred in Denison, which accounted for 121 of the reported incidents. Considerably fewer crashes were reported in other municipalities, with Dow City recording 8 crashes and Schleswig recording 7. Several other towns, including Manilla, Vail, and Charter Oak, reported 2 or fewer crashes.

The vast majority of crashes, 212 out of 233, occurred on paved roadways. Crashes on unpaved surfaces, such as gravel or dirt roads, accounted for 21 incidents, representing 9.0% of the total for the year.

Among roadway-related contributing factors, adverse surface conditions such as wet or icy roads were the most cited, contributing to 34 crashes. A slippery, loose, or worn surface was noted as a factor in 4 additional crashes. Other factors like debris or work zones were each cited in only one crash.

In a small subset of crashes, driver condition was noted as a factor. Six drivers were recorded as being under the influence of alcohol, and 3 drivers were noted as being asleep or fatigued. One crash was attributed to a driver's illness or fainting.

The most common estimated property damage cost was in the $1,500 to $7,500 range, which applied to 140 crashes. The next most frequent cost bracket was $7,500 to $25,000, accounting for 80 crashes. A smaller number of incidents resulted in higher damage, with 6 crashes estimated to have costs exceeding $25,000.

Single-vehicle, non-collision events were the most frequent manner of collision, accounting for 74 crashes or 31.8% of the total. Among multi-vehicle crashes, rear-end collisions were the most common type with 45 incidents (19.3%), followed closely by broadside collisions with 41 incidents (17.6%).

The most common action drivers were taking immediately before a crash was moving straight ahead, which was the case for 205 vehicles. Turning left was the next most frequent pre-crash action, recorded for 44 vehicles. A notable 28 vehicles were legally parked when they were involved in a collision.

Of the 494 individuals involved in crashes, the vast majority, 473, were drivers. Passengers accounted for 19 of the individuals, and 2 were pedestrians. No cyclists were recorded as being involved in crashes.

Among the 494 people involved in crashes, 4 individuals sustained fatal injuries. A total of 99 people were injured, with severities ranging from possible (61 people) and minor (26 people) to serious (12 people). The majority of individuals involved in crashes were not injured.

Among the occupants for whom safety equipment use was recorded, 68 were noted as using a shoulder and lap belt. Twelve individuals were recorded as using no safety equipment at the time of the crash. Other equipment, such as child safety seats or helmets, was used in a small number of cases.

Two-vehicle collisions were the most common crash configuration, accounting for 138 incidents. Single-vehicle crashes were also frequent, with 86 incidents recorded. Multi-vehicle pile-ups involving three or more vehicles were less common, with 8 three-vehicle crashes and 1 four-vehicle crash reported.