Yearly Traffic Safety Analysis

565 CRASHES IN
WAREHAM, MA
2023

All metrics benchmarked against2022

In 2023, Wareham recorded 565 total traffic crashes, a 6.3% decrease from the 603 crashes in 2022. Despite this overall reduction in collisions, the number of resulting fatalities rose from 3 to 5. The most significant percentage change was a 125% increase in hit-and-run incidents, which grew from 4 to 9 cases year-over-year.

565

-6.3%was 603

Total Crash Events

5

66.7%was 3

Persons Killed

214

0.5%was 213

Persons Injured

9

125.0%was 4

Hit-and-Run Crashes

Note: "Persons Killed" (5) counts individual fatalities across all crash events. "Fatal" in the severity table below (4) counts crash events where at least one fatality occurred. A single crash can result in multiple fatalities. 2 crashes with unreported severity are 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

Overall traffic crashes in Wareham showed a downward trend, falling by 6.3% from 603 in 2022 to 565 in 2023. However, the severity of these incidents increased, with total fatalities rising from 3 to 5. The number of people injured remained nearly constant, with 214 injuries in 2023 compared to 213 in the prior year.

9

Hit-and-Run Crashes — 2023

125.0% vs prior (4)

Hit-and-run incidents showed a significant upward trend in 2023. The total count of hit-and-run crashes more than doubled, increasing from 4 in 2022 to 9 in 2023, a 125% rise. Correspondingly, the hit-and-run rate as a percentage of all crashes also more than doubled, climbing from 0.7% to 1.6% year-over-year.

Vulnerable Road User Casualties

0

Pedestrians Killed

Prior: 00.0%

1

Cyclists Killed

Prior: 0%

4

Motorists Killed

Prior: 333.3%

5

Pedestrians Injured

Prior: 425.0%

4

Cyclists Injured

Prior: 6-33.3%

205

Motorists Injured

Prior: 2031.0%

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 time of day for peak crash frequency remained consistent, with the 3 p.m. hour having the most incidents in both 2023 (48 crashes) and 2022 (50 crashes). However, the peak day for crashes shifted from Friday in 2022 (107 crashes) to Wednesday in 2023 (91 crashes). Crash counts on Fridays saw a notable decrease to 83 incidents in the current year.

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

While total crashes decreased, the severity of outcomes worsened in 2023. The number of fatal crashes increased from 3 to 4, and the corresponding fatal crash rate rose from 0.5% to 0.7%. The proportion of crashes involving serious injuries also grew, accounting for 3.2% of incidents (18 crashes) in 2023, up from 2.3% (14 crashes) in 2022. Consequently, the share of crashes with no injuries decreased from 73.0% to 69.9%.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 4 fatal crash events resulted in 5 persons killed.

Outcome by Severity (Crash Events)

Fatal4fatal crashes0.7%
33.3%prior 3
Serious Injury18serious injury crashes3.2%
28.6%prior 14
Minor Injury104minor injury crashes18.4%
3.0%prior 101
Possible Injury42possible injury crashes7.4%
7.7%prior 39
No Injury395no injury crashes69.9%
-10.2%prior 440

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 2023, 'Inattention' remained a leading contributing factor, but its count dropped from 125 to 102 incidents. Conversely, crashes attributed to 'Failed to yield right of way' increased significantly in count from 39 in 2022 to 56 in 2023, a 43.6% rise. 'No improper driving' was the most cited factor in both years, though its count also decreased from 219 to 199. Speeding-related crashes, as defined by the KPI, fell from 24 to 16 year-over-year.

Officer-Reported Primary Contributing Cause

No improper driving199 (35.2%)-9.1%prior 219
Inattention102 (18.1%)-18.4%prior 125
Failed to yield right of way56 (9.9%)43.6%prior 39
Operating vehicle in erratic, reckless, careless, negligent or aggressive manner26 (4.6%)18.2%prior 22
Failure to keep in proper lane or running off road20 (3.5%)-16.7%prior 24
Swerving or avoiding due to wind, slippery surface, vehicle, object, vulnerable user in roadway19 (3.4%)0.0%prior 19
Other improper action17 (3%)21.4%prior 14
Followed too closely15 (2.7%)-34.8%prior 23
Disregarded traffic signs, signals, road markings13 (2.3%)18.2%prior 11
Over-correcting/over-steering9 (1.6%)12.5%prior 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

The distribution of crashes across environmental conditions showed a shift toward incidents in darkness. While crashes in daylight decreased from 414 to 369, crashes in dark conditions (lighted, not lighted, or unknown) increased from 150 to 166. As a proportion of all crashes, incidents in darkness rose from 24.9% in 2022 to 29.4% in 2023. Crashes on dry road surfaces and in clear weather continued to be the most common scenarios in both periods.

Weather

Clear373 (66.6%)
-3.1%prior 385
Cloudy49 (8.8%)
48.5%prior 33
Rain43 (7.7%)
-21.8%prior 55
Clear/Unknown34 (6.1%)
-2.9%prior 35
Snow14 (2.5%)
55.6%prior 9
Cloudy/Rain11 (2.0%)
-31.3%prior 16
Sleet, hail (freezing rain or drizzle)7 (1.3%)
Rain/Cloudy5 (0.9%)
-37.5%prior 8
Cloudy/Unknown5 (0.9%)
Clear/Other4 (0.7%)
-78.9%prior 19

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

Lighting

Daylight369 (65.3%)
-10.9%prior 414
Dark - lighted roadway97 (17.2%)
32.9%prior 73
Dark - roadway not lighted66 (11.7%)
-12.0%prior 75
Dusk16 (2.8%)
-20.0%prior 20
Dawn14 (2.5%)
-17.6%prior 17
Dark - unknown roadway lighting3 (0.5%)

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

Road Surface

Dry447 (79.3%)
-2.2%prior 457
Wet93 (16.5%)
-15.5%prior 110
Ice14 (2.5%)
16.7%prior 12
Snow9 (1.6%)
-40.0%prior 15
Sand, mud, dirt, oil, gravel1 (0.2%)

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

Vehicles & Demographics

The top four vehicle makes involved in crashes—Toyota, Ford, Chevrolet, and Honda—remained the same in 2023 as in 2022, with counts for each decreasing in line with the overall trend. Analysis of person demographics reveals an increased involvement of the 65+ age group, with the count of persons in this cohort rising from 198 to 202. This represented a proportional increase from 15.6% of all persons involved in 2022 to 16.7% in 2023.

Top Vehicle Makes (996 vehicles)

1
TOYOTA136 (13.7%)
-9.9%prior 151
2
FORD121 (12.1%)
-17.7%prior 147
3
CHEVROLET93 (9.3%)
-3.1%prior 96
4
HONDA88 (8.8%)
-13.7%prior 102
5
NISSAN82 (8.2%)
18.8%prior 69
6
JEEP54 (5.4%)
1.9%prior 53
7
GMC43 (4.3%)
-12.2%prior 49
8
HYUNDAI38 (3.8%)
18.8%prior 32
9
SUBARU32 (3.2%)
28.0%prior 25
10
KIA26 (2.6%)
-10.3%prior 29

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

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

Sex Distribution (1,135 persons with recorded sex)

Male648 (57.1%)
-2.6%prior 665
Female487 (42.9%)
-6.5%prior 521

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

In 2023, fatal crashes shifted from higher to lower speed zones. While 2022 saw two fatal crashes in 65 mph zones and none in 25 mph zones, 2023 recorded the opposite, with zero fatalities in 65 mph zones and two in 25 mph zones. The 35 mph speed zone remained the most frequent location for all crashes in both years, with counts staying stable at 219 in 2023 versus 217 in 2022.

Fatal crashes by zone: 25 mph: 2 of 65 (3.077%) · 30 mph: 1 of 46 (2.174%) · 35 mph: 1 of 219 (0.457%)

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: WAREHAM, MA
  • Total crash records analyzed: 565
  • Total persons involved: 1,212
  • Total vehicles involved: 996

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). "WAREHAM, 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/wareham/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

ThatCarHitMe.com · An Injuria.ai Company

Wareham, MA Crash Report — 2023 | ThatCarHitMe.com