100 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

In 2015, all crash fatalities and injuries in Calhoun County involved motor vehicle occupants. One motorist was killed and 34 were injured. There were no recorded fatalities or injuries involving pedestrians or cyclists during this period.

Crashes in Calhoun County occurred most frequently on Tuesdays, which saw 18 incidents. The single busiest hour was 2 p.m., with 13 crashes recorded. Overall, a majority of crashes, 60 out of 100, happened during daylight hours.

Of the 100 crashes, 74% resulted in no injuries, categorized as property-damage-only. The remaining 26 crashes involved injuries, with 5 classified as serious injury, 10 as minor injury, and 10 as possible injury. One crash was fatal, resulting in one death.

The leading contributing factor for crashes was an animal in the roadway, cited in 23 incidents, or 23% of the total. The second most common factor was a driver losing control of their vehicle, which occurred in 16 crashes (16%). Other significant factors included failure to yield the right-of-way at uncontrolled intersections (6 crashes) and from stop signs (5 crashes).

A majority of crashes occurred in favorable driving conditions, with 60% taking place in daylight and 51% on dry road surfaces. Clear weather was reported for 49 of the 100 total crashes. Conversely, snow was a factor in 10 crashes, and an icy or frosty road surface was noted in 10 incidents.

Analysis of persons involved in crashes shows the 55-64 age group was the most represented, with 29 individuals, followed by the 65+ age group with 27. Among vehicle makes involved in crashes, Chevrolet was the most frequent with 31 vehicles (combining 'CHEVROLET' and 'CHEV'), followed by Ford with 29 vehicles. Dodge was third with 11 vehicles (combining 'DODGE' and 'DODG').

The most frequently recorded major cause of crashes was an 'Animal', contributing to 23% of incidents. 'Lost Control' was the second-leading cause, accounting for 16% of crashes. Failure to yield right-of-way was also a significant factor, with 6 crashes at uncontrolled intersections and 5 from a stop sign.

The most common first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in traffic, occurring in 30 crashes. The second most frequent event was a collision with an animal, which happened in 23 crashes. Single-vehicle events were also common, including 11 overturns or rollovers and 5 crashes where the first harmful event was hitting a ditch.

Crashes were most likely to occur on non-junction road segments, which accounted for 35 incidents. Four-way intersections were the most common junction type for crashes, with 24 incidents occurring at these locations. An additional 5 crashes happened at T-intersections.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, with 66 vehicles recorded. Light trucks and SUVs were also frequently involved, with 26 pickups and 23 sport utility vehicles, respectively. Twelve tractor-trailers and two motorcycles were also involved in crashes during this period.

The vast majority of crashes involved vehicles where no traffic controls were present, with this situation recorded 102 times. In cases where traffic controls were present, stop signs were the most common, noted in 10 instances. Only 2 instances involved yield signs and 1 involved a railway crossing device.

Frontal impacts were the most common, with the primary damage area being the front of the vehicle in 22 cases, the front-driver-side corner in 13 cases, and the front-passenger-side corner in 12 cases. Side impacts were also frequent, with the driver's side middle being the most damaged area in 13 instances. Ten crashes resulted in primary damage to the rear of the vehicle.

Crash data within municipal limits shows Manson had the highest volume with 24 crashes. Lake City followed with 19 crashes, and Rockwell City had 14. Together, these three municipalities accounted for 57 of the 71 crashes that occurred within a city's boundaries.

Of the crashes where the road surface type was specified, 92 occurred on paved roads. Seven crashes were recorded on unpaved surfaces, such as gravel or dirt roads, accounting for approximately 7% of these incidents.

In the minority of crashes where a roadway factor was cited as a contributor, 'Surface condition' was the most common, noted in 17 incidents. These conditions typically refer to wet or icy surfaces. No other roadway factor was cited more than once.

The most common estimated property damage cost was in the $1,500 to $7,500 range, which applied to 70 crashes. Eight crashes resulted in high-end damage estimates of $25,000 or more. An additional 18 crashes had damage estimated between $7,500 and $25,000.

Single-vehicle, non-collision events were the most frequent manner of collision, accounting for 50 of the 100 crashes. Among multi-vehicle crashes, broadside (front-to-side) collisions were the most common type, with 16 incidents. Rear-end collisions were the next most frequent, with 10 incidents recorded.

For vehicles involved in crashes, the most common pre-crash action was 'Movement essentially straight,' recorded for 85 vehicles. The next most frequent actions were 'Legally Parked' and 'Turning left,' each recorded for 11 vehicles. Six vehicles were backing up prior to the collision.

Of the 182 people involved in crashes, the vast majority, 176, were drivers. The remaining 6 individuals were passengers. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved in any of the recorded crashes.

Across all 182 people involved in crashes, 1 person sustained a fatal injury and 34 sustained non-fatal injuries. The injuries included 5 serious, 15 minor, and 14 possible injuries. The remaining individuals were not injured.

Based on the limited available data where safety equipment use was recorded, 22 individuals used a shoulder and lap belt. Three individuals were recorded as using no safety restraints. Two motorcycle riders were noted as wearing a DOT-compliant helmet.

Slightly over half of the incidents, 54 out of 100, were single-vehicle crashes. Two-vehicle crashes were also very common, accounting for 45 incidents. One crash involved three vehicles.