141 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

Motor vehicle occupants accounted for all 4 fatalities and the vast majority of injuries, with 58 motorists injured in 2015. One pedestrian was injured in a crash during this period, and there were no pedestrian fatalities. No cyclists were reported as either killed or injured in any crashes within the county for the year.

Crash occurrences in O'Brien County peaked on Fridays, with 30 incidents, and during the 4 p.m. hour, which saw 15 crashes. Thursdays also saw a high volume with 27 crashes, while the morning commute hours of 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. were also significant with 10 and 11 crashes respectively. The majority of crashes, 97 out of 141, occurred during daylight hours.

Approximately two-thirds of all crashes (66.7%) resulted in no injuries, involving only property damage. The remaining 47 crashes involved injuries of varying severity, including 7 serious injury crashes, 15 minor injury crashes, and 22 with possible injuries. There were 3 fatal crashes recorded, which resulted in a total of 4 fatalities.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 3 fatal crash events resulted in 4 persons killed.

The most common contributing factor identified in crashes was a vehicle running off the road to the left, accounting for 18 incidents (12.8%). Other significant factors included failure to yield the right-of-way from a stop sign (13 crashes), driving too fast for conditions (12 crashes), and following too closely (10 crashes). Driver distraction was cited in several forms, including 'other interior distraction' (7 crashes) and 'inattentive/lost in thought' (3 crashes).

The majority of crashes occurred in ideal driving conditions, with 97 incidents (68.8%) happening in daylight, 75 (53.2%) in clear weather, and 96 (68.1%) on dry road surfaces. However, adverse conditions were a factor in a notable number of crashes, with 18 incidents occurring on icy or frosty roads and 7 on snow-covered surfaces. Cloudy weather was present during 39 crashes.

Among all persons involved in crashes, the 26-34 age group was the most represented with 47 individuals, followed closely by the 16-20 age group (45 individuals) and the 65+ age group (44). The most frequently involved vehicle makes were Chevrolet (66 vehicles) and Ford (43 vehicles). Other common makes included Dodge (16 vehicles), GMC (13 vehicles), and Buick (13 vehicles).

The leading major cause of crashes was 'Ran off road - left,' which was attributed to 18 incidents, or 12.8% of the total. Failure to yield the right-of-way from a stop sign was the second most common cause, cited in 13 crashes (9.2%). This was followed by 'Driving too fast for conditions' with 12 crashes (8.5%) and 'Followed too close' with 10 crashes (7.1%).

The most common first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in traffic, which occurred in 73 crashes. Single-vehicle incidents were also prevalent, with 14 crashes involving an overturn or rollover and 13 involving a collision with a ditch. Collisions with parked motor vehicles accounted for another 13 crashes, and collisions with animals were the first harmful event in 6 incidents.

Crashes occurred more frequently on non-intersection road segments than at junctions, with 60 incidents happening at non-junction locations. Four-way intersections were the most common type of junction for crashes, accounting for 42 incidents. Driveway-related incidents contributed to the non-intersection total, with 16 crashes occurring within or related to driveway access points.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, with 92 vehicles recorded. Sport utility vehicles (49 vehicles) and four-tire light trucks or pickups (47 vehicles) were also frequently involved. The data also includes 10 tractor/semi-trailers and 2 motorcycles among the 235 vehicles involved in crashes.

A majority of vehicles involved in crashes were on road segments with no traffic controls present, accounting for 159 vehicles. Where traffic controls were present, stop signs were the most common, associated with 40 vehicles involved in crashes. Traffic signals were a factor for 10 vehicles, and yield signs were present for 7 vehicles.

Frontal impacts were the most common type of vehicle damage, with 40 vehicles sustaining damage to the front and another 42 sustaining damage to a front corner. Rear damage was recorded for 17 vehicles, while damage to the driver's side middle was noted for 18 vehicles, suggesting angle or sideswipe crashes. Overall, damage to the front or front corners of the vehicle was the most frequent outcome, representing a combined 82 instances.

The majority of crashes within municipal limits occurred in Sheldon, which recorded 60 incidents. Primghar accounted for the next highest number with 11 crashes, followed by Hartley, Paullina, and Sanborn, each with 4 crashes. These figures represent crashes occurring within city boundaries; many rural crashes occur outside any incorporated city.

The vast majority of crashes, 129 out of 141, occurred on paved roadways. Crashes on unpaved surfaces like gravel or dirt accounted for 12 incidents, representing 8.5% of the total for the year. This reflects the driving environment in a county with both paved primary roads and an extensive network of unpaved secondary roads.

Among roadway-related contributing factors, adverse surface conditions such as wet or icy pavement were the most cited, contributing to 25 crashes. Other noted roadway factors were less frequent, including ruts or holes (2 crashes) and slippery or loose surfaces (2 crashes). One crash was attributed to a work zone-related roadway factor.

When a driver condition other than 'apparently normal' was recorded, being asleep or fatigued was the most common, noted for 6 drivers. Medical conditions and being under the influence of alcohol were each cited for 4 drivers. These figures represent a small subset of the total drivers involved, as most are coded as 'apparently normal' or have an unknown condition.

The most common estimated property damage cost per crash was in the $1,500 to $7,500 range, which applied to 96 incidents. A further 32 crashes resulted in damages estimated between $7,500 and $25,000. Six crashes were estimated to have caused property damage in excess of $25,000.

Single-vehicle, non-collision events were the most frequent manner of collision, accounting for 48 crashes, or 34% of the total. Rear-end and broadside collisions were the next most common types, each accounting for 23 crashes (16.3%). Sideswipes involving vehicles traveling in the same direction occurred in 13 crashes.

The vast majority of drivers involved in crashes, 126 out of 235, were moving essentially straight prior to the collision. Turning left was the pre-crash action for 29 drivers, while 17 drivers were backing up. A notable number of incidents, 18, involved a vehicle that was legally parked.

Drivers constituted the overwhelming majority of individuals involved in crashes, with 285 out of 298 total persons recorded. The remaining individuals included 12 passengers and 1 pedestrian. This means that approximately 95.6% of all people involved were drivers.

Across all crashes, a total of 63 people were either injured or killed. This included 4 fatalities and 9 individuals who sustained serious injuries. The remaining injuries consisted of 19 minor injuries and 31 possible injuries.

Among the occupants for whom safety equipment use was recorded, 46 were noted as using a shoulder and lap belt. Seven occupants were recorded as not using any safety equipment. The data also shows that 2 occupants were in a booster seat and 1 was in a forward-facing child safety seat.

The most common type of crash involved two vehicles, with 88 such incidents recorded. Single-vehicle crashes were also frequent, accounting for 50 incidents, or 35.5% of the total. A small number of crashes, 3 in total, involved three vehicles.