374 CRASHES IN
MONTGOMERY, MD
APRIL 2020

During this period, 1 motorist was killed and 71 were injured in traffic crashes. Among vulnerable road users, no fatalities were recorded, but 12 pedestrians and 6 cyclists sustained injuries. These stemmed from 13 pedestrian-involved crashes and 6 bicycle-involved crashes in total.

Crashes occurred most frequently on Thursdays, with 71 incidents reported on that day of the week. The single busiest hour for crashes was 12 p.m., which saw 36 incidents. A clear daytime pattern emerged, with 258 crashes (69% of the total) occurring during daylight hours, and a sustained peak in incidents from 12 p.m. through 6 p.m.

The majority of crashes, 293 out of 374 (78.3%), resulted in no injuries. Injury-involved crashes, encompassing serious, minor, and possible injuries, accounted for 81 incidents (21.7% of the total). There was 1 fatal crash during this period, which resulted in 1 fatality.

The most frequently cited contributing factor was "RAIN, SNOW, WET," which was noted in 43 crashes, or 11.5% of the total. The second most common factor was "N/A, WET" with 16 occurrences (4.3%), also indicating the influence of wet conditions. Other noted factors included animal involvement in 7 crashes.

The majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions, with 58.6% (219 crashes) happening in clear weather and 61% (228 crashes) on dry road surfaces. Daylight conditions were present for 258 crashes, representing 69% of all incidents. Adverse conditions were also a factor, with rain reported in 68 crashes and wet road surfaces in 72 crashes.

The data on vehicle makes involved in crashes shows Toyota as the most frequent, with 89 vehicles recorded. Ford was the second most common with 78 vehicles, followed by Honda with 58 vehicles. Other frequently listed makes include Nissan (32 vehicles) and Dodge (23 vehicles); data for driver age distribution was not available in this report.

Based on the available data where fault was assigned, drivers were determined to be the at-fault party in 336 instances. This represents 97.9% of cases with an at-fault determination. Non-motorists were found to be at fault in the remaining 7 cases.

Four-way intersections were the most common location for crashes occurring at an intersection, accounting for 112 incidents. This represents 66.3% of all crashes where the intersection geometry was specified. T-intersections were the next most frequent type, with 38 crashes reported at these locations.

Crashes occurred more frequently at junctions than on open roadway segments. Incidents at intersections accounted for 126 crashes, or 48.1% of cases where a junction type was specified. Non-intersection locations were the site of 91 crashes, representing 34.7% of the reported total.

Crashes were most prevalent on roadways with a "TWO-WAY, DIVIDED, POSITIVE MEDIAN BARRIER," accounting for 130 incidents. This was closely followed by crashes on "TWO-WAY, NOT DIVIDED" roads, which saw 125 incidents. Together, these two road types represented 83.3% of crashes where the road division was documented.

The most commonly reported level of vehicle damage was "Disabling," which was noted for 239 vehicles involved in crashes. This category, representing vehicles that were not drivable after the crash, accounted for 42% of all vehicles with damage extent reported. "Functional" damage was the next most frequent category with 141 vehicles.

The most frequently cited driver-related factor was "RAIN, SNOW, WET," associated with 66 drivers. The second most common entry was "N/A, WET," reported for 27 drivers. These top factors primarily describe environmental conditions present at the time of the crash rather than specific driver maneuvers.

Among drivers for whom a distraction was noted, "Looked but did not see" was the most common, reported for 78 drivers. "Inattentive or lost in thought" was the second most frequent distraction, with 26 occurrences. Other specified distractions included "Other distraction" (11 drivers) and distractions by an outside person, object, or event (4 drivers).

The most common first harmful event in a crash was a collision with another motor vehicle, which occurred in 216 incidents (57.8% of the total). The second most frequent event was striking a fixed object, such as a guardrail or utility pole, which happened in 70 crashes. Collisions with parked vehicles (40 crashes) and pedestrians (15 crashes) were the next most common initial events.

The front of the vehicle ("Twelve Oclock") was the most common point of impact, recorded in 242 instances, representing 41.4% of all vehicles for which an impact point was documented. The rear of the vehicle ("Six Oclock") was the second most frequent impact point, with 90 occurrences (15.4%).

The most common pre-crash action for drivers was "Moving constant speed," reported for 274 vehicles (46.9% of the total). "Slowing or stopping" was the next most frequent action with 55 occurrences, followed closely by "Making left turn" with 52 occurrences. Other notable actions included accelerating (39 drivers) and being stopped in a traffic lane (34 drivers).

In 13 instances involving a pedestrian, their action was deemed proper and recorded as "No improper actions." Improper actions were noted in several cases, including 2 instances of "Failure to obey traffic signs," 2 instances of "Failure to yield right of way," and 2 instances of being "In roadway improperly." There was also one reported case of a pedestrian performing a "Dart dash" action.

Single-vehicle crashes were the most common type of incident, accounting for 87 crashes or 23.3% of the total. The next most frequent collision manners were "Straight movement angle" crashes (68 incidents, 18.2%) and "Same direction rear end" collisions (67 incidents, 17.9%). These top three categories collectively represent nearly 60% of all crashes during the period.

A significant portion of crashes, 170 incidents or 45.5%, occurred at locations with "No controls." Where traffic controls were present, traffic signals were the most common, with 97 crashes occurring at signalized locations. Stop signs were present at the location of 21 crashes.

Passenger cars were the most common type of vehicle involved in crashes, accounting for 401 of the 584 vehicles (68.7%). Sport Utility Vehicles were the next most frequent with 38 vehicles, followed by vans and pickup trucks, each with 23 vehicles. Commercial vehicles, including various trucks and buses, were involved in at least 40 instances.

Of the 607 people involved in crashes, 516 (85%) were reported to have no injuries. There was 1 fatality and 8 individuals who sustained suspected serious injuries. Combined, fatal and serious injuries accounted for 1.5% of all persons involved, while an additional 82 people had minor or possible injuries.

Two-vehicle collisions were the most common scenario, comprising 182 of the 374 total crashes (48.7%). Single-vehicle crashes were also very frequent, accounting for 172 incidents, or 46% of the total. Crashes involving three or more vehicles were less common, with 16 three-vehicle crashes reported.