112 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

In terms of killed and seriously injured (KSI) individuals, motorists comprised the largest group, with 1 motorist fatality and 54 motorists injured. While no pedestrians were killed, 2 pedestrians sustained injuries. No cyclists were reported as killed or injured in 2015.

Crash analysis by time reveals specific patterns. Fridays were the most frequent day for crashes, with 23 incidents recorded. The afternoon and evening hours showed a high concentration of crashes, with 1 p.m., 3 p.m., and 6 p.m. each being peak times with 11 crashes.

Of the 112 crashes in Davis County, 71.4% (80 crashes) resulted in no injuries. The remaining crashes involved injuries of varying severity, including 8 serious injury, 8 minor injury, and 14 possible injury crashes. There were 2 fatal crashes, which accounted for 1.8% of all incidents and resulted in 2 total fatalities.

The primary contributing factor to crashes was interaction with animals, cited in 39 incidents and representing 34.8% of the total. Following this, 'Followed too close' was the next most common factor, contributing to 8 crashes (7.1%). Other notable factors included running off the road, driver inattention, and failure to yield right-of-way from a stop sign, each accounting for 5 crashes.

The majority of crashes occurred under favorable environmental conditions. Specifically, 72 crashes (64.3%) happened in clear weather, 70 (62.5%) on dry road surfaces, and 62 (55.4%) during daylight hours. Crashes in adverse conditions were less frequent, with 7 incidents on wet roads and 4 on roads with ice or frost.

Analysis of persons involved in crashes shows the 16-20 age group was the most represented, with 45 individuals, followed by the 45-54 age group with 37 individuals. Among the 166 vehicles involved, Chevrolet was the most frequent make with 40 vehicles, followed by Ford with 31 vehicles and Dodge with 17 vehicles.

The leading major cause identified in crash reports was 'Animal,' which was cited in 39 incidents. The second most frequent cause was 'Followed too close,' contributing to 8 crashes. Other significant causes included 'Ran off road - straight,' 'Driver Distraction: Inattentive/lost in thought,' and 'FTYROW: From stop sign,' each listed as the major cause for 5 crashes.

The most common first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in traffic, which occurred in 40 crashes. This was closely followed by collisions with an animal, accounting for 39 crashes. Single-vehicle events were also notable, with 7 crashes involving an overturn or rollover and 10 crashes where the first harmful event was a collision with a fixed object such as a ditch.

Crashes occurred more frequently on non-intersection road segments than at junctions. Out of the crashes with specified junction types, 51 took place at non-junction locations, and an additional 8 were related to driveway access. In contrast, 28 crashes occurred at intersections, with four-way intersections being the most common type, accounting for 20 of these incidents.

Passenger vehicles were involved in the vast majority of crashes. Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type with 66 involved, followed by sport utility vehicles (37) and light trucks or pickups (31). Commercial vehicles were also present, with 9 tractor/semi-trailers involved, along with a single motorcycle.

Analysis of traffic controls present for vehicles involved in crashes shows that a large majority, 120 vehicles, were at locations with no traffic controls. For crashes where traffic controls were present, stop signs were noted for 12 vehicles and traffic signals for 9 vehicles. This indicates most incidents occurred on road segments without active traffic control devices.

The front of the vehicle was the most common area of impact, with 44 vehicles sustaining damage to this area. Rear impacts, indicative of rear-end collisions, were the second most frequent, recorded for 21 vehicles. Damage to the sides and corners of vehicles was also common, with frontal corner impacts on 23 vehicles and various side impacts recorded on another 28 vehicles.

Within Davis County, the vast majority of reported crashes occurred in Bloomfield, which recorded 81 incidents. Other municipalities saw significantly fewer crashes, with Drakesville reporting 4, Pulaski reporting 3, and Floris reporting 2 crashes. A single crash was recorded in Adel.

The data indicates that crashes occurred on both paved and unpaved surfaces. A total of 94 crashes happened on paved roads, while 17 crashes, or approximately 15.3% of those with road surface data, occurred on unpaved roads. This highlights the role of the county's unpaved road network in local traffic incidents.

Roadway factors were cited as a contributor in a minority of crashes. The most frequently noted factor was the road surface condition, such as wet or icy pavement, which was a factor in 7 crashes. A slippery, loose, or worn surface contributed to 3 other crashes, and one crash was related to a work zone.

The estimated property damage was recorded for all 112 crashes. The most common damage cost was in the $1,500 to $7,500 range, which applied to 64 crashes. Forty crashes resulted in damages estimated between $7,500 and $25,000, while only one crash was estimated to have damage exceeding $25,000.

Single-vehicle crashes were the most prevalent type of incident, accounting for 54 crashes, or 48.2% of the total. Collisions between two vehicles were most often rear-end crashes, which occurred 21 times (18.8%). Broadside collisions were the third most common manner of collision, with 10 incidents recorded.

The most common pre-crash action for vehicles involved was 'Movement essentially straight,' recorded for 104 vehicles. Other frequent actions included turning left, noted for 11 vehicles, and being legally parked, which applied to 10 vehicles involved in collisions.

A total of 229 individuals were involved in the crashes. The vast majority of these were drivers, accounting for 200 people. Passengers made up the next largest group with 21 individuals, followed by 6 other non-motorists and 2 pedestrians.

Across all individuals involved in crashes, there were 2 fatalities recorded. In addition to the fatalities, a total of 61 people sustained injuries. These injuries were categorized as serious for 13 individuals, minor for 21 individuals, and possible for 27 individuals.

Among the participants for whom safety equipment use was recorded, 11 individuals were documented as using no restraints at the time of the crash. This compares to 25 individuals who used both a shoulder and lap belt. The available data indicates that nearly 30% of occupants with recorded restraint use were not using any safety equipment.

The data shows a high proportion of single-vehicle crashes, which accounted for 62 of the 112 total incidents (55.4%). Two-vehicle collisions were also common, with 46 such crashes reported. Crashes involving three or more vehicles were rare, with only 4 incidents recorded.