351 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

In 2015, a total of 5 people were killed and 146 were injured in Hamilton County crashes. Motorists comprised the majority of these casualties, with 4 fatalities and 146 injuries. Additionally, one pedestrian fatality was recorded during this period. There were no recorded cyclist fatalities or injuries.

Crash analysis for 2015 reveals specific temporal patterns, with Thursday being the most frequent day for incidents, recording 65 crashes. The afternoon commute hour of 4 p.m. was the single busiest hour with 38 crashes. A majority of collisions, 198 out of 351, occurred during daylight hours, while 84 took place in dark, dusk, or dawn conditions.

Of the 351 total crashes in 2015, 241 (68.7%) resulted in no injuries, being classified as property-damage-only. The remaining 110 crashes involved injuries or fatalities. This includes 4 fatal crashes, 9 serious injury crashes, 33 minor injury crashes, and 64 crashes with possible injuries. The 4 fatal crashes resulted in a total of 5 deaths, as a single crash event can involve multiple fatalities.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 4 fatal crash events resulted in 5 persons killed.

The leading contributing factor identified in 2015 crashes was the presence of an animal on the roadway, cited in 82 incidents (23.4% of all crashes). Other significant factors include drivers losing control (40 crashes, 11.4%), driving too fast for conditions (31 crashes, 8.8%), and running off a straight road (28 crashes, 8.0%). These top four factors collectively account for over half of all reported crashes.

A majority of crashes in 2015 occurred in favorable conditions. Specifically, 198 crashes (56.4%) happened in daylight, 188 (53.6%) on dry road surfaces, and 162 (46.2%) in clear weather. Adverse conditions were also present in a number of incidents, with 39 crashes occurring in snow, 31 on wet roads, and 27 on icy or frosty surfaces.

Among the 666 people involved in crashes, the 26-34 age group was the most represented with 104 individuals, followed by the 16-20 age group with 95. An analysis of the 511 vehicles involved shows Chevrolet (119 vehicles), Ford (83 vehicles), Toyota (40 vehicles), and Dodge (38 vehicles) as the most frequently appearing makes in crash reports.

The leading major cause attributed to crashes was contact with an animal, which was cited in 82 incidents. This was followed by drivers losing control (40 crashes) and driving too fast for conditions (31 crashes). Running off a straight road (28 crashes) and failure to yield the right-of-way from a stop sign (19 crashes) were also significant contributing causes.

The most common first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in traffic, which occurred in 126 crashes. The second most frequent event was a collision with an animal, accounting for 82 crashes. Non-collision events, primarily overturns or rollovers, were the third most common initial event, recorded in 39 incidents.

The majority of crashes occurred in areas without specific junction features, with 174 incidents (49.6%) happening on non-junction road segments. Four-way intersections were the most common type of junction for crashes, accounting for 46 incidents. T-intersections were the location for another 14 crashes.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, with 223 units recorded. Sport utility vehicles (101 units) and four-tire light trucks or pickups (99 units) were also frequently involved. Of the commercial vehicles, 25 tractor/semi-trailers were involved in crashes, while 2 motorcycles were also recorded.

Data on traffic controls present indicates that in 346 instances, vehicles were operating where no traffic controls were present. Stop signs were the next most common traffic control device noted, being relevant in 58 instances. Traffic signals were a factor in 19 instances.

The front of the vehicle was the most frequent area of initial impact or most severe damage, noted in 109 instances. Combined with front-corner impacts (71 instances), frontal damage was a characteristic of a large portion of collisions. The driver's side middle area was the most damaged point in 41 cases, while the rear of the vehicle was most damaged in 38 cases, suggesting a notable share of angle and rear-end collisions.

A total of 11 crashes were recorded as involving an impaired driver. Of these, alcohol was a factor in 8 crashes and drugs were a factor in 3 crashes. These 11 incidents represent 3.1% of all crashes for the year.

The distribution of crashes across municipalities in Hamilton County shows a concentration in Webster City, which recorded 124 crashes. Far fewer crashes were reported in other towns, with Ellsworth and Jewell each recording 6 crashes, and Stanhope and Kamrar each recording 2.

The vast majority of crashes, 334 in total, occurred on paved roadways. A smaller number of incidents, 11 crashes, were recorded on unpaved surfaces such as gravel or dirt roads. This indicates that approximately 3.2% of crashes with known surface type happened on the county's unpaved road network.

Among roadway-related contributing factors, adverse surface conditions such as wet or icy pavement were the most cited, contributing to 55 crashes. Other roadway factors were less common, with work zones being noted as a factor in 2 crashes and obstructions or debris in the roadway contributing to 3 crashes.

While most drivers were recorded as 'apparently normal,' there were several instances where other conditions were noted. Fifteen drivers were identified as being asleep or fatigued, and 11 were noted as being under the influence of alcohol. Additionally, a medical condition was a factor for 6 drivers, and an emotional state was noted for 5 drivers.

Based on officer estimates of property damage, the most common damage category was between $1,500 and $7,500, which applied to 238 crashes (67.8% of the total). A smaller fraction of crashes, 12 in total or 3.4%, resulted in high-value damage estimated at over $25,000.

Single-vehicle, non-collision events were the most common type of crash, accounting for 179 incidents or 51% of the total. Among multi-vehicle crashes, rear-end collisions were the most frequent, with 45 incidents (12.8%), followed by broadside collisions, which occurred 40 times (11.4%).

An analysis of the 511 vehicles involved in crashes shows that the most common pre-crash action was moving straight ahead, which was the case for 310 vehicles. The next most frequent actions were turning left (29 vehicles) and being legally parked (26 vehicles) prior to the collision.

Of the 666 individuals involved in crashes, the vast majority, 624 people (93.7%), were drivers. Passengers accounted for 41 individuals (6.2%), and one person was classified as a pedestrian.

Among the 155 persons with a recorded injury outcome, 5 sustained fatal injuries and 146 sustained some level of injury. The injury breakdown includes 11 serious injuries, 52 minor injuries, and 83 possible injuries. Four individuals were recorded as having no injuries despite being in crashes where others were hurt.

Among 126 crash participants for whom safety equipment use was recorded, 95 were using a shoulder and lap belt. However, 23 individuals, representing 18.3% of this group, were recorded as using no safety restraints at the time of the crash.

Slightly more than half of all incidents, 200 crashes (57%), involved only a single vehicle. Two-vehicle collisions were also common, accounting for 143 crashes (40.7%). Multi-vehicle incidents involving three or more vehicles were rare, with only 8 such crashes recorded, including one involving four vehicles.