269 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

In 2015, there were no fatalities among any group of road users in Carroll County. Of the 100 people injured, the vast majority were motorists, accounting for 96 injuries. The data also recorded 3 injured pedestrians and 1 injured cyclist.

Crash occurrences in Carroll County during 2015 were most frequent on Tuesdays, which saw a total of 51 incidents. The single busiest hour for crashes was 3 PM, with 29 recorded events. Analysis of hourly data shows that crashes were concentrated during daytime hours, with a significant peak during the afternoon commute period.

The vast majority of crashes in 2015, approximately 71% (191 incidents), resulted in no injuries. Injury-related crashes accounted for the remaining 29%, with these being categorized as serious (8 crashes), minor (31 crashes), or possible (39 crashes). There were no fatal crashes recorded in Carroll County during this period.

The leading contributing factor for crashes in Carroll County was failure to yield the right-of-way from a stop sign, cited in 27 incidents (10%). This was closely followed by vehicles running off the road to the left, which accounted for 26 crashes. Other significant factors included following too closely (17 crashes) and losing control of the vehicle (15 crashes).

Most crashes in Carroll County occurred under ideal environmental conditions. Specifically, 62.8% of incidents (169 crashes) happened in clear weather, 64.3% (173 crashes) on dry road surfaces, and 72.9% (196 crashes) during daylight hours. Crashes during adverse weather included 22 in rain and 22 in snow, while incidents on non-dry surfaces included 38 on wet roads and 28 on snow-covered roads.

Analysis of individuals involved in crashes shows the 21-25 age group was the most represented, with 81 people, followed by the 45-54 age group with 79 people. Regarding vehicles, domestic brands were most frequently involved, with Chevrolet (123 vehicles) and Ford (93 vehicles) being the top two makes recorded in crashes. Dodge (39 vehicles) and GMC (27 vehicles) also appeared frequently in the data.

The most frequently cited major cause of crashes was 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way from a Stop Sign,' which was attributed to 27 incidents. Running off the road to the left was the second leading cause, with 26 crashes. Other prominent causes included 'Followed Too Close' (17 crashes), 'Lost Control' (15 crashes), and 'Driving Too Fast for Conditions' (13 crashes).

The dominant first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in traffic, which occurred in 173 crashes, representing 64.3% of all incidents. Single-vehicle run-off-road events were also notable, with the most common being collisions with a ditch (24 crashes). Additionally, there were 10 crashes involving an overturn or rollover and 9 crashes where the first harmful event was a collision with an animal.

Crashes were slightly more likely to occur on non-intersection road segments, which accounted for 127 incidents, than at intersections. Four-way intersections were the most common type of junction for crashes, with 90 incidents recorded. T-intersections were the site of another 21 crashes.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 203 of the 487 vehicles. Light trucks and SUVs combined were also frequently involved, with 105 pickups and 102 sport utility vehicles recorded. Commercial vehicles like tractor/semi-trailers were involved in 12 incidents, while motorcycles were involved in 3.

A significant number of vehicles involved in crashes were in areas with no traffic controls present, accounting for 314 vehicles. For crashes where traffic controls were a factor, stop signs were the most common device, noted for 73 vehicles involved in collisions. Traffic signals were present for 62 vehicles involved in crashes.

The front of the vehicle was the most common area of damage, recorded for 125 vehicles. Including corner impacts, frontal damage was noted on 205 vehicles overall. Rear impacts, indicative of rear-end collisions, were the primary damage area for 52 vehicles, while side impacts were noted for 62 vehicles.

The majority of crashes within the county occurred in the city of Carroll, which saw 160 incidents. Other municipalities reported significantly fewer crashes, with Manning recording 10, and both Coon Rapids and Glidden recording 8 each. Several smaller towns like Templeton, Westside, Halbur, Lidderdale, and Arcadia each recorded two or fewer crashes.

The vast majority of crashes, 250 out of 269, occurred on paved roadways. A total of 19 crashes, representing 7.1% of all incidents, were recorded on unpaved surfaces such as gravel or dirt roads. This highlights that while most travel occurs on paved roads, unpaved secondary roads are also a site of traffic collisions.

Roadway conditions were cited as a contributing factor in a minority of crashes. The most common roadway factor was the surface condition, such as wet or icy roads, which was noted in 44 incidents. Additionally, 3 crashes were recorded as occurring in a work zone.

In cases where a driver's condition was noted as something other than 'apparently normal,' driving under the influence of alcohol was the most cited factor, recorded for 7 drivers. Other documented conditions included being asleep or fatigued (2 drivers), having a medical condition (2 drivers), and being under the influence of drugs or medication (2 drivers). These numbers represent a small fraction of the total drivers involved.

The most common estimated property damage cost per crash fell within the $1,500 to $7,500 range, which applied to 207 incidents. A smaller number of crashes resulted in more significant damage, with 48 incidents estimated between $7,500 and $25,000. Only 6 crashes, or 2.2% of the total, were estimated to have property damage exceeding $25,000.

Single-vehicle, non-collision events such as running off the road or overturning were the most frequent crash type, accounting for 70 incidents or 26% of the total. Among multi-vehicle crashes, rear-end collisions were the most common, with 59 incidents (21.9%). Broadside collisions were also prevalent, occurring in 56 crashes (20.8%).

The most common pre-crash action for vehicles involved was moving essentially straight, which was the case for 257 vehicles. Turning left was the second most common maneuver, recorded for 59 vehicles prior to impact. A notable number of crashes also involved stationary vehicles, including 38 that were legally parked and 26 that were stopped in traffic.

Of the 588 individuals involved in crashes, the vast majority (563 people) were drivers. Passengers accounted for another 21 individuals involved in these incidents. The remaining involved persons were non-motorists, including 3 pedestrians and 1 bicyclist.

Across all 588 people involved in crashes, a total of 100 injuries were reported, with no fatalities. Among the injured, 10 people sustained serious injuries, 40 had minor injuries, and 50 were recorded with possible injuries. This indicates that while no crashes were fatal, a significant number resulted in some level of physical harm.

For the subset of crash participants where safety equipment use was documented, 61 individuals were recorded as using a shoulder and lap belt. Conversely, 8 participants were noted as having used no safety equipment at all. The data on safety equipment usage was not available for the majority of individuals involved in crashes.

The most common type of crash involved two vehicles, which occurred in 186 incidents. Single-vehicle crashes were the next most frequent, accounting for 69 incidents, or 25.7% of the total. Multi-vehicle crashes involving three or more vehicles were less common, with 11 three-vehicle crashes, 2 four-vehicle crashes, and one five-vehicle crash recorded.