618 CRASHES IN
MONTGOMERY, MD
JULY 2020

During this period, 1 motorist was killed and 190 were injured. Additionally, 25 pedestrians and 16 cyclists sustained injuries in collisions, although no fatalities were reported for these vulnerable road users. In total, 235 individuals were injured across all crash types.

Crash incidents in Montgomery County peaked late in the work week, with Thursday recording the highest number of crashes (112). The most common time for a crash was the 5 p.m. hour, which saw 50 incidents. Overall, crashes were most prevalent during daylight hours, which accounted for 426 of the 618 total collisions.

The majority of crashes (68.0%) resulted in no injuries, involving only property damage. Injury-involved crashes accounted for 31.7% of the total, distributed among possible (18.1%), minor (10.8%), and serious (2.8%) injury categories. There was 1 fatal crash reported during this period, which resulted in one fatality.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 2 fatal crash events resulted in 1 persons killed.

The most frequently cited contributing factors were related to environmental conditions rather than specific driver errors. Wet conditions, including rain, were noted in the top two factors, accounting for a combined 7.8% of crashes. The factor 'RAIN, SNOW, WET' was listed in 26 incidents (4.2%), and 'N/A, WET' was listed in 22 incidents (3.6%).

The vast majority of collisions occurred in ideal driving conditions. Specifically, 78.8% of crashes happened in clear weather, 76.1% on dry road surfaces, and 68.9% during daylight hours. Crashes in adverse conditions included 41 in rain and 129 in darkness on lighted roadways.

Analysis of the 1,045 vehicles involved in crashes shows that passenger cars were the most common vehicle type. Among vehicle makes, Toyota was most frequently involved with 148 vehicles, followed by Honda with 139 vehicles and Ford with 109 vehicles. Data on driver age groups was not available for this period.

In crashes where fault was assigned, drivers were determined to be at fault in 566 incidents. This represents the vast majority of cases where a determination was made. Non-motorists were found to be at fault in 10 cases.

Of the crashes that occurred at a defined intersection type, four-way intersections were the most common location, accounting for 198 incidents. T-intersections were the second most frequent site, with 87 crashes reported. These two types represent the vast majority of intersection-related collisions with a specified geometry.

Crashes were more likely to occur at or near junctions than on open road segments. Collisions at intersections accounted for 204 incidents, with an additional 72 crashes classified as intersection-related. Crashes at non-intersection locations were also significant, with 142 incidents reported.

Crashes occurred with nearly equal frequency on undivided two-way roads (229 crashes) and on divided two-way roads with a positive median barrier (222 crashes). Roads with unprotected painted medians accounted for another 56 crashes. Together, these three two-way road types were the site of the majority of collisions.

Disabling damage was the most common outcome for vehicles involved in crashes, reported for 391 vehicles. Functional damage was noted for 268 vehicles, and superficial damage for 234 vehicles. A smaller number of vehicles were reported as destroyed (67) or having no damage (34).

The most commonly reported driver actions preceding a crash were related to environmental or traffic conditions. The top cited factor was 'RAIN, SNOW, WET,' attributed to 42 drivers. This was followed by 'N/A, WET' for 35 drivers and 'BACKUP DUE TO REGULAR CONGESTION' for 13 drivers.

Among drivers for whom a distraction was noted, 'Looked but did not see' was the most common factor, reported for 146 drivers. Other specified distractions included 'Other distraction' (19 drivers) and being 'Inattentive or lost in thought' (18 drivers).

The most common first harmful event in a crash was a collision with another motor vehicle, which occurred in 392 incidents, representing 63.4% of all crashes. Collisions with fixed objects (87 incidents) and parked vehicles (67 incidents) were the next most frequent events. Crashes involving pedestrians (25) and bicycles (10) as the first harmful event were also reported.

The front of the vehicle was the most common point of impact, recorded as 'Twelve Oclock' for 427 vehicles. This represents approximately 40.8% of vehicles with a specified impact point. The rear of the vehicle ('Six Oclock') was the second most frequent impact point, involved in 180 instances.

The most common pre-crash action for drivers was 'Moving at a constant speed,' which was reported for 456 of the 1,045 drivers involved. Other frequent actions included 'Slowing or stopping' (117 drivers), 'Making a left turn' (96 drivers), and being 'Stopped in a traffic lane' (92 drivers).

For the non-motorists involved in crashes, 'No improper actions' was the most frequently documented behavior, noted in 26 cases. However, several improper actions were also recorded, including being 'In roadway improperly' (5 cases), 'Failure to obey traffic signals' (2 cases), and 'Failure to yield right of way' (2 cases).

The most common type of collision was a same-direction rear-end crash, which accounted for 149 incidents or 24.1% of all crashes. Single-vehicle crashes were the second most frequent type, with 112 incidents (18.1%). Angle collisions involving straight movement were also common, representing 16.3% of the total.

A significant portion of crashes, 258 incidents or 41.7% of the total, occurred at locations with no traffic controls. Crashes at intersections with a traffic signal were also frequent, totaling 191 incidents. Locations with stop signs accounted for 41 crashes.

Passenger cars were the predominant vehicle type involved in collisions, accounting for 755 of the 1,045 vehicles (72.2%). Sport utility vehicles (90 vehicles) and pickup trucks (44 vehicles) were the next most common types. Commercial vehicles, including various trucks and buses, were involved in at least 39 crashes.

Of the 1,092 people involved in crashes, the vast majority (856 individuals, or 78.4%) sustained no injuries. There was 1 fatality reported (0.09%), and 19 individuals (1.7%) sustained suspected serious injuries. An additional 78 people had minor injuries and 138 had possible injuries.

Two-vehicle collisions were the most common scenario, accounting for 344 crashes, or 55.7% of the total. Single-vehicle crashes were also frequent, representing 234 incidents (37.9%). Multi-vehicle crashes involving three or more vehicles were less common, with 39 such incidents reported.