4,425 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
FEBRUARY 2015

Of the 1,263 people killed or injured in crashes, the vast majority were motorists. A total of 17 motorists were killed and 1,208 were injured. One pedestrian fatality and 32 pedestrian injuries were recorded. No bicyclists were killed, but five sustained injuries.

Crash frequency peaked midweek, with Wednesday recording the highest number of incidents at 913. The afternoon commute represented the most dangerous time of day, with the hour from 4:00 p.m. to 4:59 p.m. seeing a peak of 379 crashes. A majority of collisions, 2,935 in total, occurred during daylight hours.

The vast majority of crashes, 76.2% (3,374 incidents), resulted in no injuries. Injury-involved crashes accounted for 23.8% of the total, including 58 serious injury crashes, 282 minor injury crashes, and 695 possible injury crashes. A total of 16 crashes were fatal, which resulted in the deaths of 18 individuals.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 16 fatal crash events resulted in 18 persons killed.

The leading contributing factor identified in crashes was 'Driving too fast for conditions,' cited in 572 incidents (12.9%). This was followed by 'Followed too close' with 353 crashes (8.0%) and 'Ran off road - left' with 351 crashes (7.9%). Collisions involving an animal were also notable, contributing to 276 crashes.

While adverse conditions were a factor in many incidents, a significant portion of crashes occurred in favorable weather. Clear weather was reported in 2,431 crashes (54.9%), and daylight conditions were present for 2,935 crashes (66.3%). However, road surface conditions played a major role, with 1,149 crashes on snow and 549 on ice, compared to 1,887 on dry roads.

Analysis of the 9,248 people involved in crashes shows the highest representation among individuals aged 26-34 (1,541 people), followed by the 35-44 age group (1,395 people). Among the 7,875 vehicles involved, the most frequent makes were Chevrolet (1,502 vehicles), Ford (1,296 vehicles), and Dodge (647 vehicles).

The most common major cause assigned to crashes was 'Driving too fast for conditions,' accounting for 572 incidents. 'Followed too close' was the second leading cause with 353 crashes, followed closely by 'Ran off road - left' with 351 crashes. Collisions with animals were the fourth-most-common cause, noted in 276 crashes.

The most frequent first harmful event was a 'Collision with: Vehicle in traffic,' which occurred in 2,847 crashes, representing 64.3% of all incidents. Single-vehicle events were also common, with the leading types being collisions with an animal (275 crashes), running into a ditch (175 crashes), and vehicle overturns or rollovers (148 crashes).

Crashes were more likely to occur away from intersections, with 2,075 incidents (46.9%) happening at non-junction locations. Four-way intersections were the most common type of junction for crashes, accounting for 1,236 incidents. T-intersections were the site of 324 crashes.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 3,828 of the 7,875 vehicles. Sport utility vehicles were the second-most common with 1,616 involved, followed by four-tire light trucks and pickups at 1,222. Tractor/semi-trailers were involved in 246 crashes.

Data on vehicles involved in crashes shows that 4,656 were in areas with 'No controls present.' For crashes where traffic controls were a factor, traffic signals were present for 1,795 vehicles and stop signs were present for 880 vehicles. Yield signs were a factor for 50 vehicles.

The front of the vehicle was the most common area of impact, recorded as the most damaged area for 2,007 vehicles. The rear was the second-most common point of damage, recorded for 903 vehicles, suggesting a high number of rear-end collisions. Damage to the driver-side and passenger-side middle areas was noted on 492 and 416 vehicles, respectively, indicative of angle or sideswipe crashes.

A total of 122 crashes, or 2.8% of all incidents, were recorded as involving an impaired driver. Among the 125 drivers identified as impaired, alcohol was the sole factor for 112 drivers. Drugs were a factor for 7 drivers, and a combination of alcohol and drugs was noted for 6 drivers.

Crash distribution was concentrated in the state's most populous counties. Polk County alone accounted for 811 crashes, representing 18.3% of the statewide total. The top five counties—Polk, Scott (325 crashes), Linn (267), Johnson (256), and Black Hawk (251)—collectively made up 43.2% of all crashes in Iowa for the month.

The highest crash volumes were reported in Iowa's largest cities. Des Moines led with 439 crashes, followed by Davenport with 237, Cedar Rapids with 177, and Sioux City with 164. Waterloo and Dubuque also reported high volumes, with 144 and 146 crashes respectively.

The overwhelming majority of crashes occurred on paved roadways, with 4,269 incidents reported. Crashes on unpaved surfaces like gravel or dirt roads were much less frequent, accounting for 134 incidents, or approximately 3.0% of crashes where the surface type was specified.

Roadway-related contributing factors were noted in a minority of crashes, but surface condition was the most significant when present. 'Surface condition (e.g. wet, icy)' was cited as a factor in 1,336 crashes, aligning with the winter month. 'Slippery, loose or worn surface' was a distant second with 54 crashes, while work zones were a factor in 9 crashes.

Among drivers for whom a condition other than 'apparently normal' was recorded, impairment was the most common. A total of 135 drivers were noted as being 'Under the influence of alcohol.' The second-most cited condition was 'Asleep/fatigued,' which was recorded for 45 drivers, followed by emotional distress for 24 drivers.

Crash distribution varied significantly across Iowa's six DOT districts. District 1, which includes the Des Moines metro area, had the highest number of crashes with 1,296. District 6, covering eastern Iowa including Cedar Rapids and Davenport, followed closely with 1,253 crashes. Together, these two districts accounted for over 57% of all crashes.

The most common estimated cost of property damage fell into the '$1,500 - $7,500' category, which applied to 3,339 crashes. A smaller number of incidents resulted in severe damage, with 906 crashes estimated between $7,500 and $25,000, and 83 crashes exceeding $25,000 in property damage.

Crashes were almost evenly split between single-vehicle incidents and multi-vehicle collisions. Non-collision single-vehicle events, such as running off the road, accounted for 1,065 crashes (24.1%). Rear-end collisions were the most common type of crash between vehicles, with 1,062 incidents (24.0%), followed by broadside collisions with 967 incidents (21.9%).

The vast majority of vehicles involved in collisions were engaged in 'Movement essentially straight' prior to the crash, a pre-crash action recorded for 4,580 vehicles. Turning left was the second-most common action, noted for 731 vehicles, while 470 vehicles were in the process of slowing or stopping.

For the 33 pedestrians involved in crashes, the most common action was 'Entering or crossing roadway,' which was recorded for 20 individuals. Other actions included moving along the roadway with traffic (4 pedestrians) and working in the trafficway (2 pedestrians).

Of the 9,248 individuals involved in crashes during this period, the great majority were drivers (8,907 people). Passengers accounted for 303 of the individuals involved. A smaller number of vulnerable road users were documented, including 33 pedestrians and 5 bicyclists.

Among all 9,248 people involved in crashes, 18 sustained fatal injuries and 73 received serious injuries. An additional 356 people had minor injuries and 816 had possible injuries. The data shows that 1,245 individuals sustained some level of injury.

Among the subset of 1,002 vehicle occupants for whom safety equipment use was recorded, 891 (88.9%) were using a shoulder and lap belt. A total of 74 individuals (7.4%) were documented as using no safety equipment at all. Child safety seats were in use by 15 occupants.

Two-vehicle collisions were the most common type of crash, accounting for 2,990 incidents (67.6%). Single-vehicle crashes were the next most frequent, with 1,223 incidents (27.6%). Crashes involving three or more vehicles were less common, with 212 such events recorded.