522 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

Motorists accounted for all 3 fatalities and the vast majority of injuries, with 152 motorists injured in 2015. While no fatalities were recorded for vulnerable road users, 6 cyclists and 1 pedestrian sustained injuries in crashes. An additional injury was recorded for a person classified as 'other'.

Crash frequency in Marion County peaked on Fridays, which saw 97 incidents, and during the 5 p.m. hour, with 45 crashes. Analysis of lighting conditions shows that 254 crashes occurred in daylight. In contrast, a total of 124 crashes were recorded during periods of darkness, dusk, or dawn, with 54 of those happening on unlit roadways.

Of the 522 total crashes, 387 incidents (74.1%) resulted in no injuries, involving only property damage. The remaining crashes involved injuries of varying severity: 17 were classified as serious injury crashes, 45 as minor injury, and 70 as possible injury. There were 3 fatal crashes recorded, which resulted in a total of 3 fatalities.

The leading contributing factor cited in crashes was an animal in the roadway, accounting for 171 incidents or 32.8% of the total. Following this, failure to yield the right-of-way from a stop sign was noted in 39 crashes (7.5%). Other significant factors included drivers losing control of their vehicle (32 crashes) and reckless or erratic driving (23 crashes).

A substantial portion of crashes happened under favorable conditions, with 288 incidents occurring on dry roads and 268 in clear weather. Daylight conditions were present for 254 crashes. Adverse conditions were less frequent, with 35 crashes on wet roads, 22 on snow-covered roads, and 20 during rainfall.

Among the 943 people involved in crashes, the 26-34 age group was the most represented with 142 individuals, followed closely by the 16-20 age group with 138 individuals. An analysis of the 777 vehicles involved shows that Chevrolet (174 vehicles), Ford (141 vehicles), and Dodge (65 vehicles) were the most frequently recorded makes in crash incidents.

The most frequently cited major cause of crashes was an animal in the roadway, listed in 171 reports. Failure to yield the right-of-way from a stop sign was the second-leading cause, contributing to 39 crashes. Other primary causes included drivers losing control (32 crashes), reckless or erratic operation (23 crashes), and driving too fast for conditions (20 crashes).

The most common first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in traffic, which occurred in 206 crashes. The second-most-common event was a collision with an animal, recorded in 170 incidents. Other notable events included overturns or rollovers in 26 crashes and collisions with a ditch in 23 crashes.

Analysis of crash locations shows that more incidents occurred at non-junction segments of the roadway than at intersections. Out of crashes with available data, 201 took place at a non-junction location, and an additional 28 were related to driveway access. In contrast, 79 crashes occurred at four-way intersections and 39 at T-intersections.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 383 of the 777 vehicles. Light trucks and pickups were the next most frequent with 147 vehicles, followed by sport utility vehicles (SUVs) with 137. Commercial tractor-trailers were involved in 14 crashes, and motorcycles were involved in 10.

The majority of crashes occurred where no traffic controls were present, with this situation noted in 453 instances. Where traffic controls were in place, stop signs were the most common, present at the scene of 92 crashes. Traffic signals were a factor in 51 crashes.

The front of the vehicle was the most frequent area of impact, recorded as the most damaged area for 172 vehicles. This suggests a high number of frontal collisions. The rear of the vehicle was the primary damage area in 75 instances, indicative of rear-end collisions, while side impacts were also common, with 38 vehicles damaged on the driver's side middle and 34 on the passenger's side middle.

A total of 11 crashes, or 2.1% of all incidents, were recorded as involving an impaired driver. Of these, alcohol was a factor in 9 crashes, drugs were a factor in 1 crash, and a combination of alcohol and drugs was noted in 1 crash. These figures represent a minimum, as impairment is often under-reported.

Within Marion County, the city of Pella experienced the highest number of crashes, with 143 incidents reported in 2015. The city of Knoxville had the second-highest total with 87 crashes. Following these, Pleasantville recorded 24 crashes.

Crashes predominantly occurred on paved roadways, which accounted for 485 incidents. A smaller but notable number of crashes, 33 in total, took place on unpaved surfaces such as gravel or dirt roads. This represents 6.4% of the crashes where road surface type was specified.

Among the small number of crashes where a roadway factor was cited as a contributor, adverse surface conditions such as wet or icy roads were the most common, noted in 30 incidents. Other factors like roadway debris or a slippery or worn surface were each cited in 3 crashes.

In cases where a driver's condition was noted as something other than 'apparently normal,' the most frequent citation was being under the influence of alcohol, recorded for 12 drivers. The next most common condition was being asleep or fatigued, which was noted for 6 drivers. These conditions are recorded for a minority of drivers involved in crashes.

The most common estimated property damage cost was in the $1,500 to $7,500 range, which applied to 396 crashes. A total of 9 crashes, representing 1.7% of the total, were estimated to have damage costs exceeding $25,000. Another 99 crashes fell into the $7,500 to $25,000 damage category.

Single-vehicle, non-collision events were the most frequent manner of collision, accounting for 225 crashes or 43.1% of the total. Among multi-vehicle crashes, broadside (front-to-side) collisions were most common, occurring in 80 incidents (15.3%), closely followed by rear-end collisions, which accounted for 79 incidents (15.1%).

The most common pre-crash action for vehicles involved was moving straight ahead, which was the case for 395 vehicles. Turning left was the next most frequent action, recorded for 55 vehicles, followed by backing, which was the pre-crash action for 52 vehicles.

Of the 943 people involved in crashes, the vast majority, 910 individuals, were drivers. Passengers accounted for 25 of the people involved. The remaining individuals included 6 bicyclists, 1 pedestrian, and 1 person classified as an 'other non-motorist'.

Across all 943 individuals involved in crashes, 3 suffered fatal injuries. A total of 160 people sustained non-fatal injuries, including 18 with serious injuries, 56 with minor injuries, and 86 with possible injuries. The data also recorded 3 individuals involved in crashes who sustained no injuries.

Based on available data for safety equipment usage, 114 vehicle occupants were reported as using a shoulder and lap belt. In contrast, 15 occupants were recorded as using no safety equipment at all. A small number of occupants used other restraints like a shoulder belt only or a child safety seat.

Single-vehicle crashes were the most common type of incident, accounting for 279 of the 522 total crashes (53.4%). Two-vehicle crashes were also frequent, with 231 incidents (44.3%). Crashes involving three or more vehicles were rare, with only 12 such events recorded during the year.