379 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

In 2015, motorists accounted for all fatalities and the vast majority of injuries from traffic crashes in Winneshiek County. A total of 2 motorists were killed and 112 were injured. There were no cyclist fatalities or injuries recorded. Two pedestrians were reported as injured, but no pedestrian fatalities occurred.

Crash occurrences in Winneshiek County were highest on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, each recording 59 incidents in 2015. The single busiest hour for crashes was 5 PM, with 40 events. While a majority of crashes, 215 out of 379, occurred during daylight hours, a substantial number, 115, took place in dark conditions.

Of the 379 crashes in 2015, the majority (76.8% or 291 crashes) resulted in no injuries and were classified as property damage only. The remaining incidents included 86 crashes with possible, minor, or serious injuries. There were 2 fatal crashes, which resulted in a total of 2 fatalities.

The most significant contributing factor to crashes in Winneshiek County was the presence of an animal, cited in 120 incidents, or 31.7% of the total. Following this, 'Lost Control' was a factor in 46 crashes (12.1%), and 'Ran off road - straight' contributed to 22 crashes (5.8%). Failure to yield from a stop sign and driving too fast for conditions were each noted in 21 crashes.

The majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions, with 228 incidents (60.2%) happening in clear weather and 244 (64.4%) on dry road surfaces. Over half of the crashes, 215 in total (56.7%), took place during daylight hours. Adverse weather conditions such as snow were noted in 28 crashes, and crashes on snow-covered roads occurred 36 times.

Analysis of persons involved in crashes shows the 16-20 age group was the most represented, with 99 individuals, followed by the 45-54 age group with 89 individuals. Among the 524 vehicles involved, Chevrolet was the most frequent make with 109 vehicles, followed by Ford with 94 vehicles. Pontiac and Dodge were also common, with 33 and 28 vehicles respectively.

The leading major cause of crashes was attributed to animals, accounting for 120 incidents (31.7%). The second most common cause was 'Lost Control,' cited in 46 crashes (12.1%). Other significant causes included 'Ran off road - straight' with 22 crashes, and both 'Failure to yield right of way from a stop sign' and 'Driving too fast for conditions' each contributing to 21 crashes.

The most common first harmful event was a collision with an animal, which initiated 118 crashes. The second most frequent event was a collision with another vehicle in traffic, recorded in 92 incidents. Collisions with fixed objects, such as a ditch (26 crashes), and non-collision events like rollovers (16 crashes) were also prevalent.

A significant majority of crashes, 238 out of 379, occurred at non-junction locations along a road segment. Crashes at intersections were less frequent, with 45 occurring at four-way intersections and 33 at T-intersections. An additional 12 crashes were related to driveway access points.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 220 of the 524 vehicles. Sport utility vehicles (122) and light trucks or pickups (85) were the next most frequent types. The data also includes 11 tractor/semi-trailers and 9 motorcycles involved in crashes.

The vast majority of crashes occurred in areas with no traffic controls present, with this category being noted 385 times. In contrast, crashes at locations with stop signs were recorded 41 times, and those with traffic signals were recorded 32 times. A no passing zone was marked in 10 instances.

The front of the vehicle was the most frequently damaged area, recorded in 125 instances. This was followed by front-corner impacts, with 46 on the passenger side and 43 on the driver side. Damage to the rear of the vehicle, indicative of rear-end collisions, was noted 47 times, while side damage was recorded in 59 cases.

Crash distribution within the county was heavily concentrated in Decorah, which recorded 120 incidents. Calmar had the second-highest number with 16 crashes. Other municipalities such as Ridgeway, Ossian, and Spillville each reported 5 or fewer crashes.

Of the crashes where road surface type was specified, 318 occurred on paved roads and 43 occurred on unpaved surfaces like gravel or dirt. This indicates that approximately 11.9% of these incidents took place on the county's unpaved road network.

Among roadway-related contributing factors, adverse surface conditions such as wet or icy pavement were the most common, cited in 44 crashes. Work zones were a factor in 6 incidents. Other less frequent factors included traffic backups and road defects like ruts or holes.

In cases where a driver's condition was noted as a factor, being under the influence of alcohol was the most frequent, recorded for 9 drivers. Driver fatigue or falling asleep was cited for 4 drivers. Medical conditions and emotional state were each noted as factors for 3 and 2 drivers, respectively.

The most common range for estimated property damage was between $1,500 and $7,500, which applied to 282 crashes. A smaller number of crashes resulted in higher damage, with 81 incidents estimated between $7,500 and $25,000. Only 3 crashes, or 0.8% of the total, were estimated to have damage exceeding $25,000.

The dominant manner of collision was single-vehicle, non-collision events, which accounted for 239 crashes, or 63.1% of the total. Among multi-vehicle crashes, rear-end collisions were the most frequent type with 49 incidents, followed by broadside collisions with 34 incidents.

The most common pre-crash action for vehicles involved was 'Movement essentially straight,' reported for 384 of the 524 vehicles (73.3%). Turning left was the next most frequent action, noted for 29 vehicles, followed by vehicles that were legally parked, which accounted for 22 involved vehicles.

Of the 641 individuals involved in crashes, the vast majority, 610 people (95.2%), were drivers. Passengers accounted for 29 of the individuals, and 2 pedestrians were involved in incidents. No cyclists were recorded in this dataset.

A total of 116 individuals sustained injuries or were killed in crashes, representing 18.1% of all people involved. This includes 2 fatalities, 19 serious injuries, 46 minor injuries, and 49 possible injuries. The majority of people involved in crashes were not physically injured.

Among the 78 individuals for whom safety equipment use was specified, 16 (20.5%) were recorded as using no restraints. The most commonly reported equipment was a shoulder and lap belt, used by 53 people. Additionally, 4 individuals used a DOT-compliant helmet and 3 were in a child safety seat.

Single-vehicle crashes were the most common type of incident, accounting for 241 of the 379 total crashes (63.6%). Two-vehicle collisions were the next most frequent, with 130 incidents. Crashes involving three or more vehicles were rare, with only 7 such events recorded, including one five-vehicle crash.