788 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

In 2015, motorists accounted for all 7 traffic fatalities and the vast majority of injuries, with 211 motorists injured. No fatalities were recorded among vulnerable road users. However, 7 pedestrians and 4 cyclists sustained injuries in crashes during the year.

Crash frequencies in Webster County show distinct patterns by time of day and week. Fridays were the most common day for crashes, with 144 incidents, while Wednesdays (123) and Tuesdays (118) also saw high volumes. The afternoon commute period was the most hazardous time, with the single hour from 3:00 PM to 3:59 PM seeing the highest concentration of crashes (63). Overall, crashes occurred more often during daylight hours (495 incidents) compared to all periods of darkness and low light combined (206 incidents).

The majority of crashes resulted in no injuries. Out of 788 total crashes, 583 (74%) were classified as property-damage-only. The remaining 200 crashes involved some level of injury, including 134 with possible injuries, 50 with minor injuries, and 16 with serious injuries. There were 5 fatal crashes recorded during the year, which resulted in a total of 7 fatalities.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 5 fatal crash events resulted in 7 persons killed.

Analysis of contributing factors indicates that environmental and driver behaviors are key elements in crashes. The most cited factor was the presence of an animal, contributing to 82 crashes (10.4%). Driver actions such as following too closely (61 crashes), failing to yield the right-of-way from a stop sign (58 crashes), and driving too fast for conditions (50 crashes) were also leading causes. An additional 71 crashes were attributed to an unspecified 'Other' factor.

Contrary to what might be expected, most crashes occurred in ideal driving conditions. A majority of incidents took place in clear weather (454 crashes, 57.6%), during daylight hours (495 crashes, 62.8%), and on dry road surfaces (496 crashes, 62.9%). For comparison, only 35 crashes occurred during rain and 29 during snow, while 78 happened on wet roads and 53 on roads with ice or frost.

Among the 1,622 people involved in crashes, young drivers and older drivers were highly represented, with the 16-20 age group accounting for 234 individuals and the 65+ age group accounting for 200. In terms of vehicle makes involved, Chevrolet (313 vehicles, including 'CHEV' and 'CHEVROLET' records) and Ford (234 vehicles) were the most frequent. Dodge (120 vehicles) and Toyota (115 vehicles) also appeared in over 100 instances each.

The leading major causes of crashes in Webster County were interactions with animals, cited in 82 incidents. This was followed by driver behaviors, including following too closely (61 crashes), failure to yield right-of-way from a stop sign (58 crashes), and driving too fast for conditions (50 crashes). Losing control of the vehicle was listed as the major cause in 31 crashes.

The most common initial event in a crash was a collision with another vehicle in traffic, which occurred in 464 cases (58.9%). The second most frequent event was a collision with an animal, accounting for 81 crashes (10.3%). Single-vehicle run-off-road events were also significant, with collisions involving a ditch (30), a utility pole (26), and an overturn/rollover (26) being the most common outcomes.

Crashes were more likely to occur on non-intersection roadway segments than at intersections. There were 359 crashes that occurred away from any junction or special feature. In contrast, four-way intersections were the most common type of junction for crashes, accounting for 196 incidents, followed by T-intersections with 44 crashes.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, with 629 vehicles recorded. Light trucks and SUVs were also frequently involved, with 275 four-tire light trucks (pick-ups) and 251 sport utility vehicles. Commercial vehicles, including tractor-trailers and other large trucks, were involved in 35 instances, while motorcycles were involved in 8 crashes.

The majority of vehicles involved in crashes were in areas with no traffic controls present, with this condition being noted for 755 vehicles. Where traffic controls were present, traffic signals were the most common device, associated with 246 vehicles in crashes. Stop signs were the next most frequent, noted for 203 vehicles.

The front of the vehicle was the most common area of impact, with 297 vehicles sustaining primary damage to the front, 134 to the front-passenger corner, and 131 to the front-driver corner. This suggests a high prevalence of frontal collisions. The rear of the vehicle was the primary point of damage for 136 vehicles, indicative of rear-end collisions.

Impairment was noted as a factor in a subset of crashes. There were 22 crashes involving driving under the influence (DUI), accounting for 2.8% of all crashes. Among the specific impairment types recorded for drivers, alcohol was cited in 24 instances and drugs were cited in 2 instances.

Crash distribution across municipalities was heavily concentrated in Fort Dodge, which accounted for 572 of the 788 total crashes in the county. In contrast, other towns reported very few incidents, with Dayton, Gowrie, and Lehigh each recording 4 crashes. This highlights that the vast majority of urban crashes in the county occur within its largest city.

The vast majority of crashes occurred on paved roadways, with 766 incidents. A smaller but notable number of crashes, 21 in total, took place on unpaved surfaces such as gravel or dirt roads. This represents 2.7% of crashes for which the road surface type was specified.

Among roadway-related contributing factors, adverse surface conditions such as wetness or ice were the most commonly cited, contributing to 97 crashes. Work zones were identified as a roadway factor in 10 crashes. Other factors like debris or ruts in the road were cited in fewer than 5 incidents each.

When a driver's condition was noted as something other than 'apparently normal,' impairment was the most frequent observation. Being under the influence of alcohol was recorded for 29 drivers. Other non-normal conditions included being emotional (10 drivers), having a medical condition such as a seizure (6 drivers), and being asleep or fatigued (5 drivers).

The estimated property damage for the majority of crashes fell into the '$1,500 - $7,500' range, which applied to 617 incidents (78.3%). A smaller number of crashes resulted in more severe financial impact, with 125 crashes causing damage between $7,500 and $25,000, and 19 crashes exceeding $25,000 in estimated damage.

Single-vehicle, non-collision events such as running off the road or overturning were the most frequent manner of collision, accounting for 223 crashes (28.3%). This was followed by rear-end collisions, with 175 incidents (22.2%), and broadside (angle) collisions, with 153 incidents (19.4%).

The most common action drivers were taking immediately before a crash was moving straight ahead, which was the case for 676 vehicles. Turning left was the pre-crash action for 142 vehicles. A significant number of crashes also involved stationary vehicles, with 108 legally parked vehicles being struck.

For the 13 non-motorists involved in crashes, the most common actions at the time of collision were 'approaching or leaving a vehicle' and 'entering or crossing a roadway,' with 4 individuals recorded for each action. Two individuals were moving along the roadway with traffic when the crash occurred.

A total of 1,622 individuals were involved in crashes, the vast majority of whom were drivers (1,542 people, or 95.1%). Passengers made up the next largest group with 67 individuals (4.1%). A small fraction of those involved were vulnerable road users, including 7 pedestrians and 4 bicyclists.

Among all persons involved in crashes, a total of 231 individuals sustained some level of injury. This included 7 fatal injuries, 23 serious injuries, 60 minor injuries, and 141 possible injuries. An additional 34 individuals involved in injury-causing crashes were determined to have no injuries themselves.

Data on safety equipment use was recorded for 174 individuals. Of these, 143 (82%) were reported to be using a shoulder and lap belt. Conversely, 21 individuals were explicitly recorded as using no safety equipment at the time of their crash.

Two-vehicle collisions were the most common type of crash, accounting for 523 incidents or 66.4% of the total. Single-vehicle crashes were the second most frequent, with 244 incidents (30.9%). Crashes involving three or more vehicles were less common, with 17 three-vehicle and 4 four-vehicle crashes recorded.