Yearly Traffic Safety Analysis

26 CRASHES IN
BUCKLAND, MA
2023

All metrics benchmarked against2022

In 2023, Buckland recorded 26 total traffic crashes, a 23.8% increase from the 21 crashes reported in 2022. While fatalities remained at zero for both years, the number of persons injured quadrupled, rising from 2 in 2022 to 8 in 2023. This increase in injuries represents the most significant year-over-year change in the crash data.

26

23.8%was 21

Total Crash Events

0

Persons Killed

8

300.0%was 2

Persons Injured

0

Fatal Crash Events

Note: "Persons Killed" (0) counts individual fatalities across all crash events. "Fatal" in the severity table below (0) counts crash events where at least one fatality occurred. A single crash can result in multiple fatalities. 1 crash with unreported severity is not shown in the severity breakdown.

Source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV) · Arcgis_yearly Open Data · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Aggregate counts from crash, person, and vehicle records

Trend Summary

Traffic crashes in Buckland showed an upward trend year-over-year, increasing by 23.8% from 21 incidents in 2022 to 26 in 2023. The number of reported injuries also rose significantly, from 2 to 8. Fatalities remained unchanged at zero for both periods.

Vulnerable Road User Casualties

0

Motorists Killed

Prior: 00.0%

8

Motorists Injured

Prior: 2300.0%

Source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV) · Arcgis_yearly Open Data · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Mode classified from person records (driver/passenger → motorist; pedestrian; bicyclist → cyclist; in-line skater / unspecified → other)

When Crashes Happen

The temporal pattern of crashes shifted between the two periods. In 2023, Wednesday was the peak day for crashes with 9 incidents, a change from 2022 when Friday was the peak day with 5 crashes. The afternoon commute hours remained a high-risk time; 2022's peak at 4 p.m. (3 crashes) broadened in 2023, with the 3 p.m., 4 p.m., and 5 p.m. hours each recording 3 crashes.

Source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV) · Arcgis_yearly Open Data · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash date field aggregated by weekday

Source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV) · Arcgis_yearly Open Data · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash time field aggregated by hour (0-23)

Crash Severity Breakdown

There were no fatal crashes recorded in either 2022 or 2023. However, the severity of non-fatal crashes increased, with the total number of persons injured rising from 2 to 8. In 2023, 19.2% of crashes resulted in an injury, up from 9.6% in 2022. Notably, 2023 saw one crash classified with a 'Serious Injury,' a severity level not present in the 2022 data which only included minor and possible injuries.

Outcome by Severity (Crash Events)

Serious Injury1serious injury crashes3.8%
Minor Injury4minor injury crashes15.4%
300.0%prior 1
No Injury20no injury crashes76.9%
11.1%prior 18

Source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV) · Arcgis_yearly Open Data · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · KABCO injury classification scale

Severity Distribution (Crash Events)

Source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV) · Arcgis_yearly Open Data · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Most severe injury per crash record

Top Contributing Factors

In both 2022 and 2023, 'No improper driving' was the most cited factor, increasing in count from 7 to 9 crashes. 'Inattention' remained the second-most common factor, holding steady at 5 crashes in both years, though its share of total crashes decreased from 23.8% to 19.2%. Notably, two crashes in 2023 were attributed to speeding-related factors, whereas none were in 2022. Conversely, crashes attributed to driver fatigue decreased from 2 to 1.

Officer-Reported Primary Contributing Cause

No improper driving9 (34.6%)28.6%prior 7
Inattention5 (19.2%)0.0%prior 5
Driving too fast for conditions1 (3.8%)
Exceeded authorized speed limit1 (3.8%)
Failed to yield right of way1 (3.8%)
Fatigued/asleep1 (3.8%)
Glare1 (3.8%)
Made an improper turn1 (3.8%)
Over-correcting/over-steering1 (3.8%)
Swerving or avoiding due to wind, slippery surface, vehicle, object, vulnerable user in roadway1 (3.8%)

Source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV) · Arcgis_yearly Open Data · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Officer-reported primary contributory cause per crash

Road & Environmental Conditions

Crashes in adverse conditions increased notably in 2023 compared to 2022. The number of crashes on wet road surfaces rose from 1 to 10, and crashes during rainy conditions increased from 1 to 5. While a majority of crashes in 2022 occurred on dry roads (90.5%), this proportion fell to 53.8% in 2023. The share of crashes occurring during daylight hours, however, increased from 47.6% in 2022 to 69.2% in 2023.

Weather

Clear12 (46.2%)
-29.4%prior 17
Rain5 (19.2%)
Cloudy3 (11.5%)
Fog, smog, smoke1 (3.8%)
Rain/Cloudy1 (3.8%)
Sleet, hail (freezing rain or drizzle)/Snow1 (3.8%)
Snow1 (3.8%)
Clear/Cloudy1 (3.8%)
Cloudy/Rain1 (3.8%)

Source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV) · Arcgis_yearly Open Data · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Weather condition at time of crash

Lighting

Daylight18 (69.2%)
80.0%prior 10
Dark - roadway not lighted4 (15.4%)
-55.6%prior 9
Dusk3 (11.5%)
Dark - unknown roadway lighting1 (3.8%)

Source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV) · Arcgis_yearly Open Data · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Lighting condition field

Road Surface

Dry14 (53.8%)
-26.3%prior 19
Wet10 (38.5%)
Snow2 (7.7%)

Source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV) · Arcgis_yearly Open Data · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Road surface condition field

Vehicles & Demographics

Top Vehicle Makes (39 vehicles)

1
TOYOTA8 (20.5%)
2
FORD6 (15.4%)
3
SUBARU5 (12.8%)
0.0%prior 5
4
HONDA5 (12.8%)
5
RAM2 (5.1%)
6
CHEVROLET2 (5.1%)
7
KIA2 (5.1%)
8
VOLVO1 (2.6%)
9
ACURA1 (2.6%)
10
WSTR1 (2.6%)

Source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV) · Arcgis_yearly Open Data · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Vehicle unit records

3 persons with unknown or unrecorded age excluded from age chart.

Sex Distribution (37 persons with recorded sex)

Female22 (59.5%)
144.4%prior 9
Male15 (40.5%)
-21.1%prior 19

Source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV) · Arcgis_yearly Open Data · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Person-level records linked to crash events

Speed Limit Zones

There were no fatal crashes in any speed zone during either period. In 2023, crashes became more frequent in lower to mid-range speed zones compared to the prior year. For instance, crashes in 40 mph zones increased from 1 to 3, and incidents in 25 mph zones rose from 3 to 4. Conversely, crashes in higher speed zones saw a decrease, with incidents in 45 mph zones falling from 5 to 3 and those in 50 mph zones declining from 6 to 5.

Source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV) · Arcgis_yearly Open Data · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Posted speed limit at crash location

Data Sources & Methodology

Primary Data Source

All crash data in this report is sourced from Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV), accessed programmatically via the Arcgis_yearly Open Data API (SODA). This dataset contains official police-reported motor vehicle traffic crash records maintained by the reporting jurisdiction's law enforcement agency. Records are published to the open data portal by the municipality and are subject to the portal's terms of use.

Data Retrieval

  • Access method: Arcgis_yearly Open Data API (SoQL queries)
  • Data format: Structured JSON via REST API
  • Record types queried: Crash events, person records, and vehicle unit records
  • Date filter applied: 2023-01-01 through 2023-12-31
  • Report generated: June 21, 2026

Data Coverage

  • Reporting period: 2023-01-01 through 2023-12-31 (365 days)
  • Geographic scope: BUCKLAND, MA
  • Total crash records analyzed: 26
  • Total persons involved: 40
  • Total vehicles involved: 39

Analytical Methodology

  • Severity classification: Uses the KABCO injury scale (K=Fatal, A=Incapacitating injury, B=Non-incapacitating injury, C=Possible injury, O=No injury/property damage only), the standard classification in U.S. Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria (MMUCC). Severity is assigned per crash event based on the most severe injury in that crash. A single fatal crash (K) may involve multiple fatalities; therefore the "Persons Killed" count in the headline KPIs may differ from the "Fatal" crash count in the severity breakdown.
  • Contributing factors: Reflect the officer-determined primary contributory cause recorded at the time of the crash report. These are preliminary determinations and may not reflect final investigation findings.
  • Hit-and-run classification: Based on the hit-and-run indicator field in the official crash report, as determined by the responding officer at the scene.
  • Temporal analysis: Day-of-week and hour-of-day distributions are computed from the crash date/time timestamp in each record.
  • Demographics: Age and sex distributions are drawn from person-level records linked to each crash event. A single crash may involve multiple persons.
  • Vehicle data: Make information is drawn from vehicle unit records linked to each crash event.
  • AI commentary: Narrative sections are generated by Google Gemini (large language model) based on the structured data. Commentary is descriptive, not predictive, and should not be interpreted as expert opinion.

Limitations & Disclaimers

  • Only crashes reported to and documented by law enforcement are included. Minor incidents, unreported crashes, and near-misses are not captured in this dataset.
  • Data reflects conditions at the time of the initial police report and may be subject to subsequent corrections, reclassifications, or supplements by the reporting agency.
  • Open data portal records may experience a publication lag - recently occurring crashes may not yet appear in the dataset at the time of report generation.
  • AI-generated commentary is produced by a large language model and is intended to highlight patterns in the data. It does not constitute legal, medical, or professional analysis.
  • Percentages are calculated from reported data and are subject to rounding.

Non-Affiliation Disclosure

This report is produced independently by ThatCarHitMe.com (Injuria.ai). It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in partnership with any law enforcement agency, municipal government, state department of transportation, or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Data is sourced from publicly available government open data portals.

Data License

The underlying crash data is provided under the municipality's Open Data Terms of Use and is made available to the public for unrestricted use. This analysis and report is © 2026 Injuria.ai and may be cited with attribution using the suggested citation below.

Corrections & Feedback

If you believe any data in this report is inaccurate or have questions about our methodology, please contact: data@injuria.ai. We are committed to accuracy and will issue corrections promptly.

Suggested Citation

ThatCarHitMe.com (Injuria.ai). "BUCKLAND, MA Crash Intelligence Report: 2023." Published June 21, 2026. Reporting period: 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31. Data source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV), Arcgis_yearly Open Data. Available at: https://thatcarhitme.com/crash-data/massachusetts/buckland/2023-annual-report

About the Publisher

ThatCarHitMe.com is a crash data intelligence platform developed by Injuria.ai, a legal technology company specializing in traffic safety analytics. We aggregate and analyze publicly available government crash data to produce structured intelligence reports for communities, researchers, journalists, and legal professionals. Our reports combine programmatic data retrieval from official open data portals with AI-assisted narrative analysis.

Questions about this report's data or methodology: data@injuria.ai

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