154 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

In 2015, crash data for Union County shows that one motorist was killed and 48 were injured. Additionally, two pedestrians were injured in traffic incidents. There were no fatalities or injuries reported involving cyclists during this period.

Crashes in Union County occurred most frequently on Wednesdays, with 30 incidents reported. The most common time for a crash was the 3 p.m. hour, which saw 15 crashes. A significant majority of collisions, 106 out of 154, happened during daylight hours.

Of the 154 crashes in 2015, the majority (72.7%) were property-damage-only incidents, with 112 crashes resulting in no injuries. There were 42 crashes that involved injuries, including one fatal crash, two with serious injuries, 12 with minor injuries, and 27 with possible injuries. While there was one fatal crash, this resulted in one person being killed; in some incidents, a single crash can lead to multiple fatalities.

The leading contributing factor identified in crashes was a failure to yield the right-of-way from a stop sign, cited in 17 incidents (11%). Other significant factors included drivers losing control, which was noted in 13 crashes (8.4%), and collisions involving animals, which accounted for 12 crashes (7.8%). Another common issue was failure to yield while making a left turn, which contributed to 10 crashes.

The vast majority of crashes occurred under favorable conditions. Specifically, 115 crashes (74.7%) happened on dry road surfaces, and 93 crashes (60.4%) took place in clear weather. Correspondingly, 106 incidents, or 68.8% of the total, occurred during daylight hours.

Among the 332 people involved in crashes, individuals in the 16-20 age group were the most represented, with 63 people. The most common vehicle makes involved in these incidents were Ford and Chevrolet, each accounting for 67 vehicles, followed by Dodge with 28 vehicles. These figures represent the frequency of involvement in crashes and not the overall market share of the vehicle makes.

The most frequently cited major cause for crashes was failure to yield right-of-way from a stop sign, which was listed for 17 incidents. Losing control of the vehicle was the second most common cause, contributing to 13 crashes. Collisions with animals were also a significant factor, accounting for 12 crashes, followed by failure to yield while making a left turn with 10 crashes.

The most common first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in traffic, which occurred in 95 of the 154 crashes. Collisions with animals were the second most frequent event, recorded in 12 incidents. Run-off-road events were also notable, with 11 crashes involving a collision with a ditch and 9 involving an overturn or rollover.

Analysis of crash locations shows that a majority of incidents, 81 out of 154, occurred on non-intersection road segments. Intersections were the site of 53 crashes, with four-way intersections being the most common type, accounting for 45 of these. Crashes related to driveway access were noted in 10 instances.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, with 107 units recorded. Light trucks and pickups were the second most frequent with 75 units, followed by sport utility vehicles (SUVs) with 51 units. Commercial semi-trailers were involved in 7 crashes, and motorcycles were involved in 3 crashes.

Data on traffic controls present at crash sites indicates that a majority of vehicles, 183 out of 280, were involved in incidents where no traffic controls were present. For crashes occurring at controlled locations, traffic signals were present for 46 vehicles and stop signs were present for 35 vehicles.

The most common area of vehicle damage was the front, which was cited in 67 instances. Broader frontal impacts, including corners, accounted for a total of 116 vehicles. Rear-end impacts were noted for 22 vehicles, while various side impacts were also common, with the passenger side middle being the most frequent point of side damage with 19 instances.

Among the municipalities in Union County, Creston recorded the highest number of crashes with 93 incidents. Afton reported the next highest number with 8 crashes. The remaining crashes within city limits were distributed between Lorimor with 2 and Arispe with 1.

The data indicates that crashes occurred predominantly on paved roadways, which accounted for 141 of the 154 total incidents. Crashes on unpaved surfaces, such as gravel or dirt roads, were less common, with 13 incidents reported, making up 8.4% of the total.

Roadway-related factors were cited in a minority of crashes. The most common factor was the road surface condition, such as being wet or icy, which was noted in 7 incidents. Work zone activity was listed as a contributing factor in 2 crashes.

The estimated property damage for most crashes fell into the $1,500 to $7,500 range, which applied to 120 of the 154 incidents. Higher-cost damages were less frequent, with 23 crashes estimated between $7,500 and $25,000, and only 4 crashes exceeding $25,000 in estimated damage.

The most frequent type of crash was a non-collision event involving a single vehicle, which accounted for 39 incidents or 25.3% of the total. This was followed closely by broadside collisions with 36 incidents (23.4%) and rear-end collisions with 33 incidents (21.4%).

The most common action of drivers immediately before a crash was moving straight ahead, which was recorded for 159 vehicles. The next most frequent pre-crash actions were turning left, noted for 32 vehicles, and being legally parked, which was the status of 23 vehicles involved in incidents.

Of the 332 individuals involved in crashes, the overwhelming majority, 320 people, were drivers. The remaining individuals included 10 passengers and 2 pedestrians. This indicates that drivers constituted 96.4% of all persons recorded in crash reports.

Among the 332 people involved in crashes, one person sustained a fatal injury and 50 people were injured. The injuries included 2 serious injuries, 14 minor injuries, and 34 possible injuries. The data also recorded one person involved in a crash who had no injuries.

Safety equipment usage was recorded for a small subset of 31 vehicle occupants. Among this group, 20 individuals were reported to have used a shoulder and lap belt. However, 9 occupants, representing 29% of this specific group, were recorded as using no safety restraints.

Two-vehicle collisions were the most common scenario, accounting for 106 of the 154 total crashes (68.8%). Single-vehicle crashes were the next most frequent type, with 40 incidents, representing 26% of the total. There were also 8 multi-vehicle crashes involving three or more vehicles.