314 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

Motorists comprised the entirety of fatalities, with 4 killed, and the vast majority of those injured, with 71 individuals. There were no fatalities among vulnerable road users, though 3 pedestrians and 1 cyclist sustained injuries during this period.

Crashes in Jones County occurred most frequently on Mondays and Fridays, with 54 incidents reported on each of those days. The single most common time for a crash was 8 p.m., which saw 27 incidents, part of a broader evening peak between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. While more crashes occurred during daylight hours (107), a substantial number also happened in darkness (77).

The majority of crashes, 252 out of 314 (80.3%), resulted in property damage only with no reported injuries. The remaining 19.7% of crashes involved some level of injury or a fatality. There were 2 fatal crashes recorded, which resulted in a total of 4 fatalities, indicating at least one crash involved multiple deaths.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 2 fatal crash events resulted in 4 persons killed.

The most dominant contributing factor cited in crashes was an animal, involved in 143 incidents, which accounts for 45.5% of all crashes. The next most common factor was a driver losing control, noted in 29 crashes (9.2%). Other notable factors included driving too fast for conditions (14 crashes) and failure to yield the right-of-way (30 crashes across several categories).

A majority of crashes occurred in what appeared to be clear conditions, with 132 incidents on dry roads, 102 in clear weather, and 107 during daylight hours. However, adverse conditions were also a factor, with 22 crashes happening in snow and 21 on wet road surfaces. Crashes in darkness were also significant, with 77 incidents occurring after dusk.

The 55-64 age group was the most frequently involved demographic in crashes, with 88 individuals, followed by the 26-34 age group with 72 individuals. The most common vehicle makes involved were Ford (81 vehicles) and Chevrolet (91 vehicles, combining 'CHEVROLET' and 'CHEV' entries). Dodge (30 vehicles) and Toyota (29 vehicles) were also frequently recorded.

Collisions with animals were the leading major cause of crashes, accounting for 143 incidents or 45.5% of the total. Following this, losing control was cited in 29 crashes (9.2%), driving too fast for conditions in 14 crashes (4.5%), and failure to yield while making a left turn in 12 crashes (3.8%).

The most frequent first harmful event was a collision with an animal, recorded in 143 incidents. The second most common event was a collision with another vehicle in traffic, which occurred 83 times. Non-collision events, primarily overturns or rollovers, were the first harmful event in 24 crashes.

The majority of crashes, 124, occurred on non-intersection road segments. Intersections accounted for a smaller portion of incidents, with 32 crashes at four-way intersections and 16 at T-intersections. This indicates that more crashes happen along stretches of road rather than at junctions.

Passenger cars were the most prevalent vehicle type involved in crashes, with 194 units recorded. Sport utility vehicles (76 units) and four-tire light trucks or pickups (79 units) were also common. Heavier vehicles were less frequent, with 14 tractor-trailers and 5 motorcycles involved in collisions.

The vast majority of crashes, 227 out of 314, occurred on road segments where no traffic controls were present. For crashes at locations with traffic controls, 36 occurred where stop signs were present and 23 were at locations with traffic signals.

Frontal impacts were the most common, with a combined 144 vehicles sustaining damage to the front or front corners. Damage to the rear of the vehicle, indicative of a rear-end collision, was noted in 23 cases. Side impacts were also significant, with 22 vehicles damaged on the driver's side middle.

Driver impairment was a factor in 10 crashes, representing 3.2% of all incidents. Of these, 9 crashes were attributed to alcohol, while 1 involved a combination of alcohol and drugs.

Within Jones County, the highest crash volume was in the city of Anamosa, with 90 incidents. Monticello recorded the second-highest number with 68 crashes. A significant portion of the county's crashes occurred outside the limits of any incorporated city.

The vast majority of crashes, 291, occurred on paved roadways. A smaller but notable number of incidents, 19, took place on unpaved surfaces such as gravel or dirt roads, accounting for 6.1% of crashes where this information was recorded.

In a minority of incidents, specific roadway factors were noted as contributing to the crash. The most common was the surface condition, such as wet or icy roads, which was cited in 24 crashes. A slippery or worn surface was a factor in 4 incidents.

Among drivers where a condition other than 'apparently normal' was noted, being asleep or fatigued was the most frequent, recorded for 10 drivers. Being under the influence of alcohol was the next most common condition, noted for 8 drivers.

The most common range for estimated property damage was between $1,500 and $7,500, which applied to 232 crashes. More severe damage was less frequent, with 69 crashes estimated to cost between $7,500 and $25,000, and 7 crashes exceeding $25,000 in damage.

Single-vehicle, non-collision incidents were the predominant crash type, accounting for 157 crashes, or exactly 50% of the total. Among crashes involving multiple vehicles, rear-end collisions were the most frequent, with 27 incidents (8.6%), followed by broadside collisions at 21 incidents (6.7%).

Of the 422 vehicles involved in crashes, the majority (257) were moving straight ahead prior to the incident. The next most common action was turning left, which was the pre-crash maneuver for 29 vehicles. Thirteen vehicles were legally parked when struck.

Drivers were the most common type of person involved in crashes, accounting for 492 of the 505 individuals recorded (97.4%). Passengers (8 individuals), pedestrians (3), and bicyclists (1) represented a much smaller portion of those involved.

Across all 505 people involved in crashes, there were 4 fatalities. An additional 75 people sustained injuries of varying severity: 16 were seriously injured, 22 received minor injuries, and 37 had possible injuries.

Among the 61 vehicle occupants for whom safety equipment use was documented, 47 were using a shoulder and lap belt. However, 12 individuals were recorded as using no safety restraints at the time of their crash.

Single-vehicle crashes were the most frequent type, accounting for 209 of the 314 incidents (66.6%). Crashes involving two vehicles occurred 102 times, while multi-vehicle pileups were rare, with only 3 crashes involving three vehicles.