110 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

In 2015, motorists were the primary group affected by fatal and injurious crashes in Howard County. A total of 2 motorists were killed and 58 were injured in traffic incidents. Additionally, one pedestrian sustained injuries, while no cyclists were reported as killed or injured during this period.

Crashes in Howard County occurred most frequently on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with each day recording 23 incidents. The evening commute hour of 5 p.m. was the single busiest hour for crashes, with 12 incidents. While nearly half of all crashes (52) occurred in daylight, a notable number of incidents also happened during hours of darkness on both unlighted (14 crashes) and lighted (7 crashes) roadways.

Of the 110 total crashes, 69 incidents (62.7%) resulted in no injuries, being classified as property-damage-only. The remaining crashes involved some level of injury, including 20 with minor injuries, 16 with possible injuries, and 4 with serious injuries. One crash was fatal, resulting in two fatalities.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 1 fatal crash events resulted in 2 persons killed.

The most significant contributing factor to crashes was animals, cited in 34 incidents, representing 30.9% of all crashes. Other frequently cited factors included losing control (7 crashes), running off the road to the left (6 crashes), and either running off the road straight or driving too fast for conditions (5 crashes each). These factors provide insight into the primary circumstances leading to collisions in the county.

A significant portion of crashes occurred in ideal driving conditions, with 52 incidents (47.3%) happening in daylight and 50 (45.5%) in clear weather. Similarly, 38 crashes (34.5%) were on dry road surfaces. However, adverse conditions were also a factor, with 14 crashes on snow-covered roads, 8 in snowy weather, and 5 on icy surfaces.

The 16-20 age group was the most frequently involved demographic in crashes, accounting for 38 of the 219 total persons involved. Among vehicle makes, Chevrolet (including 'CHEV') was most common with 37 vehicles, followed by Ford with 20, and GMC with 8. These makes represent the most frequently involved vehicles in the year's crashes.

Collisions with animals were the leading major cause of crashes, accounting for 34 incidents (30.9%). Following this, loss of control was cited as the cause in 7 crashes (6.4%). Running off the road was also a significant factor, with 6 crashes involving running off to the left and 5 running off straight.

The most common first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in traffic, which occurred in 43 crashes. The second most frequent event was a collision with an animal, documented in 34 incidents. Non-collision events, primarily overturns or rollovers, were the first harmful event in 11 crashes, while collision with a ditch occurred in 9 cases.

The majority of crashes, 54 incidents, occurred at non-intersection locations, with 46 of those on straight or curved road segments without special features. Intersections accounted for 26 crashes, with four-way intersections being the most common type, the site of 15 incidents. T-intersections were the location for another 7 crashes.

Passenger cars were the most prevalent vehicle type involved in crashes, with 64 units recorded, followed by light trucks or pickups with 34 units and sport utility vehicles with 25. Commercial vehicles like tractor-trailers were involved in 4 crashes, and motorcycles were involved in 3 incidents. These figures represent the distribution of vehicle types among the 156 total vehicles in crashes.

A large majority of crashes, 82 incidents, occurred on roadways where no traffic controls were present. For crashes where controls were a factor, stop signs were the most common, being present at the scene of 27 incidents. Traffic signals were present for only 4 of the reported crashes.

The most common area of vehicle damage was the front, which was the primary impact point in 33 vehicles. Including corner impacts, frontal damage was noted in a total of 54 vehicles. Side impacts were also frequent, with damage to the driver-side or passenger-side areas noted in 33 vehicles, while rear impacts were recorded for 16 vehicles.

Within Howard County, the city of Cresco experienced the highest volume of traffic incidents, with 24 crashes recorded in 2015. Far fewer crashes were reported in other municipalities, including 3 in Chester and 2 each in Lime Springs, Protivin, and Riceville. These figures represent crashes occurring within city limits.

Crashes were predominantly on paved roads, with 89 incidents occurring on such surfaces. However, a notable portion, 21 crashes, happened on unpaved roads. This represents 19.1% of all crashes in the county, highlighting the role of the gravel and dirt road network in local traffic safety.

In a minority of crashes where a roadway factor was identified, adverse surface conditions were the leading contributor, cited in 16 incidents. This includes conditions such as wet or icy surfaces. An additional 4 crashes were attributed to a slippery, loose, or worn surface, while other factors like obstructions were rarely cited.

Among the subset of drivers for whom a condition other than 'apparently normal' was noted, fatigue and alcohol impairment were the most frequent. Four drivers were identified as being asleep or fatigued, and another four were noted as being under the influence of alcohol. These documented conditions represent a small fraction of the total drivers involved in crashes.

The most common range for officer-estimated property damage was between $1,500 and $7,500, which applied to 79 of the 110 crashes. A smaller number of crashes, 26, resulted in damages estimated between $7,500 and $25,000. Only 3 incidents (2.7%) were reported to have damage exceeding $25,000.

Single-vehicle crashes, categorized as non-collision events, were the most frequent type, accounting for 51 incidents or 46.4% of the total. Among multi-vehicle crashes, broadside collisions were the most common, with 13 incidents (11.8%), followed by rear-end collisions, which occurred in 10 cases (9.1%).

The predominant pre-crash action for vehicles involved was moving straight, which was the case for 82 vehicles. Turning left was the action for 12 vehicles immediately before their crash. Backing was the third most common pre-crash maneuver, recorded for 10 vehicles.

Of the 219 individuals involved in crashes, the vast majority, 199 people, were drivers. Passengers comprised a smaller group of 18 individuals. The dataset also includes one pedestrian and one other non-motorist among those involved in traffic incidents.

Across all 219 people involved in crashes, 2 sustained fatal injuries. An additional 60 people were injured, with severities ranging from possible (26 persons) and minor (30 persons) to serious (4 persons). This indicates that while most crashes did not result in injury, a significant number of individuals were still affected.

Based on the available data for safety equipment usage, 32 individuals were recorded as using a shoulder and lap belt. In contrast, 6 individuals were noted as having used no safety restraints at all. The data also shows 3 individuals used only a lap belt.

Single-vehicle crashes were the most common incident type, accounting for 64 of the 110 total crashes (58.2%). The remaining 46 crashes (41.8%) involved two vehicles. No crashes involving three or more vehicles were reported in this dataset.