68 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

In 2015, all reported fatalities and injuries involved motor vehicle occupants. One motorist was killed and 36 motorists were injured in crashes. There were no reported fatalities or injuries involving pedestrians or cyclists during this period.

Crashes in Audubon County peaked on Fridays, which saw 18 incidents, significantly more than any other day of the week. The most frequent time for crashes was the 5 p.m. hour, which recorded 6 incidents. Overall, 39 crashes (57.4%) occurred during daylight hours, while 17 crashes (25%) happened on unlighted dark roadways.

Of the 68 total crashes, 22 incidents (32.4%) resulted in an injury, while 46 crashes (67.6%) involved no injuries. The injury crashes included one with a serious injury, 13 with minor injuries, and 7 with possible injuries. One crash was fatal, leading to one person being killed.

The leading contributing factors cited in crashes were "Lost Control" (13 incidents, 19.1%) and collisions involving an "Animal" (12 incidents, 17.6%). "Ran off road - left" was also a significant factor, noted in 10 crashes (14.7%). Failure to yield while making a left turn was cited in 4 crashes.

A majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions, with 39 of 68 incidents (57.4%) happening in clear weather and 36 (52.9%) on dry road surfaces. Crashes in adverse weather included 5 in snow and 3 in rain. Icy or frosty roads were a factor in 6 crashes, and snowy surfaces in 7 crashes.

Among the 143 people involved in crashes, the 45-54 age group was the most represented with 24 individuals, followed by the 21-25 and 65+ age groups, each with 19 individuals. Of the 104 vehicles involved, Chevrolet was the most frequent make with 27 vehicles, followed by Ford with 17 vehicles and Dodge with 8.

The most frequently cited major causes for crashes were "Lost Control," which accounted for 13 incidents, and collisions with an "Animal," which accounted for 12 incidents. Running off the road to the left was the third most common cause, cited in 10 crashes. These three factors represent over half of all crashes with a determined major cause.

The most common first harmful event was a "Collision with: Vehicle in traffic," occurring in 27 crashes. Collisions with animals were the second most frequent event with 12 incidents. Run-off-road events were also common, with the first harmful event being a collision with a ditch in 8 cases and an overturn or rollover in 3 cases.

The majority of crashes, 38 out of 68 (55.9%), occurred at non-junction locations along a roadway. Intersections accounted for a smaller but significant portion, with 13 crashes at four-way intersections and 6 at T-intersections. Another 4 crashes were related to driveway access.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 39 of the 104 vehicles. Light trucks and SUVs were also frequently involved, with 25 and 22 vehicles respectively. Larger commercial vehicles were less common, with 6 tractor/semi-trailers and 2 motorcycles involved in incidents.

The vast majority of vehicles involved in crashes were operating where no traffic controls were present, accounting for 77 instances. In locations with controls, stop signs were the most common type, present for 13 vehicles involved in crashes. Traffic signals were present for only one vehicle involved in a crash.

The most common points of initial impact on vehicles were the front and the front-driver-side corner, each recorded 16 times. The front-passenger-side corner was the next most frequent impact area with 14 instances. This indicates a prevalence of frontal and angle collisions.

Within Audubon County, the city of Audubon had the highest number of reported crashes with 22 incidents. The town of Exira followed with 3 crashes, and Brayton had 2 crashes. A significant portion of crashes occurred in unincorporated areas outside of these municipalities.

Crashes on paved roads were far more common, accounting for 57 of the 68 total incidents. However, a notable 11 crashes, representing 16.2% of the total, occurred on unpaved surfaces such as gravel or dirt roads.

Among crashes where a roadway factor was cited, "Surface condition (e.g. wet, icy)" was the leading contributor, noted in 13 incidents. A "Slippery, loose or worn surface" was cited as a factor in 3 crashes, and an "Obstruction in roadway" was noted in 2 cases.

The most common estimated property damage cost was in the range of $1,500 to $7,500, which applied to 43 crashes. More severe damage was less frequent, with 16 crashes estimated between $7,500 and $25,000, and 5 crashes exceeding $25,000 in property damage.

Single-vehicle, non-collision events were the most frequent crash type, accounting for 33 of 68 incidents (48.5%). Among multi-vehicle crashes, rear-end collisions were the most common with 8 incidents (11.8%), followed by angle collisions during oncoming left turns with 7 incidents (10.3%).

For the 104 vehicles with a recorded pre-crash action, the overwhelming majority (68 vehicles) were moving straight ahead. Turning left was the next most common action, recorded for 8 vehicles, while 5 vehicles were legally parked and 5 were in the process of overtaking or passing.

Of the 143 people involved in crashes, 132 were drivers and 11 were passengers. No pedestrians, cyclists, or other types of road users were recorded as being involved in these incidents.

Across all 143 individuals involved in crashes, there was 1 fatality and 36 injuries. The injuries included 2 classified as serious, 21 as minor, and 13 as possible.

Among the 33 vehicle occupants for whom safety equipment use was recorded, 28 were using a shoulder and lap belt. Four individuals were recorded as using no safety restraints at all.

The 68 crashes were almost evenly divided between single-vehicle incidents (34 crashes) and two-vehicle incidents (32 crashes). A small number of crashes, 2 in total, involved three vehicles.