120 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

All 2 fatalities and 35 injuries recorded in Guthrie County in 2015 involved motorists. There were no pedestrians or cyclists killed or injured in any of the reported crashes during this period. The two individuals who lost their lives were vehicle occupants, as were the 35 people who sustained injuries.

Crash analysis reveals that incidents were most frequent on Thursdays and Fridays, with each day recording 21 crashes. The evening commute hour from 5:00 PM to 5:59 PM was the single most common time for crashes, with 15 incidents. A notable pattern is the high number of crashes occurring in darkness on unlit roadways, which accounted for 31 incidents, compared to 46 crashes that happened during daylight hours.

Of the 120 crashes in Guthrie County, 90 incidents (75%) resulted in no injuries, being classified as property-damage-only. The remaining 25% of crashes involved some level of injury or a fatality. Specifically, there were 2 fatal crashes (1.7%), 3 crashes with serious injuries (2.5%), 11 with minor injuries (9.2%), and 14 with possible injuries (11.7%). These 2 fatal crashes resulted in a total of 2 persons killed.

The leading contributing factor cited in crashes was overwhelmingly animals, involved in 44 incidents (36.7%). Following distantly were factors such as drivers losing control (11 crashes, 9.2%), driving too fast for conditions (9 crashes, 7.5%), and running off a straight road (6 crashes, 5.0%). Failure to yield the right-of-way from a stop sign was also a factor in 6 crashes.

The majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions. Specifically, 64 crashes happened in clear weather and 61 took place on dry road surfaces. Regarding lighting, 46 crashes occurred during daylight. However, a significant number of incidents, 31, happened on dark roadways that were not lighted. Adverse weather was less common, with 5 crashes occurring in snow and 2 in rain.

Among the 193 people involved in crashes, the 16-20 age group was the most represented, with 46 individuals. Analysis of the 155 vehicles involved shows that Ford was the most frequent make, with 41 vehicles recorded in crashes. Chevrolet vehicles were also common, with 15 listed as 'CHEVROLET' and another 11 as 'CHEV', for a combined total of 26.

The most frequently cited major cause for crashes was 'Animal', accounting for 44 of the 120 incidents. 'Lost Control' was the second leading cause, attributed to 11 crashes, followed by 'Driving too fast for conditions' with 9 crashes. Failure to yield from a stop sign and running off a straight portion of the road were each listed as the major cause for 6 crashes.

The most common first harmful event was a 'Collision with: Animal', which initiated 44 crashes. The second most frequent event was a 'Collision with: Vehicle in traffic', occurring in 27 incidents. Non-collision events, primarily 'Overturn/rollover', were the first harmful event in 13 crashes, while collisions with a ditch occurred in 8 incidents.

The majority of crashes, 62 out of 120, occurred at non-intersection locations described as having no special feature. Intersections accounted for a smaller portion of incidents, with 13 crashes at four-way intersections and 2 at T-intersections. An additional 3 crashes were related to driveway access.

Of the 155 vehicles involved in crashes, passenger cars were the most common type, with 65 units. Sport utility vehicles (38 vehicles) and four-tire light trucks or pickups (31 vehicles) were also frequently involved. The data also includes 5 motorcycles and 4 tractor/semi-trailers among the vehicles in collisions.

A large majority of crashes, 82 out of 120, occurred on roadway segments where no traffic controls were present. For crashes at controlled locations, stop signs were the most common device, present at 16 incidents. Warning signs were noted at the scene of 15 crashes.

Analysis of vehicle damage indicates that frontal impacts were most common. The primary point of impact was the 'Front' for 25 vehicles, the 'Front - passenger side corner' for 17 vehicles, and the 'Front - driver side corner' for 11 vehicles. Damage to the 'Top' of the vehicle, often associated with rollovers, was recorded for 13 vehicles.

Crash distribution within Guthrie County shows the highest concentration in Guthrie Center, which recorded 13 crashes. Panora had the second-highest count with 9 crashes, followed by Stuart with 5. Other municipalities like Bayard, Yale, Coon Rapids, Dexter, and Menlo each recorded one or two crashes.

Of the 120 total crashes, 93 occurred on paved road surfaces, while 27 crashes, or 22.5% of the total, took place on unpaved roads. This highlights the role of the county's gravel and dirt road network in local traffic safety.

Among drivers for whom a condition other than 'apparently normal' was recorded, 7 were noted as being under the influence of alcohol. An additional 3 drivers were identified as being asleep or fatigued. One driver was recorded as being emotional and another had a medical condition.

The estimated property damage for the majority of crashes fell into the '$1,500 - $7,500' category, which accounted for 91 of the 120 incidents. Higher-cost damages were less frequent, with 22 crashes estimated between $7,500 and $25,000, and only 2 crashes exceeding $25,000 in property damage.

Single-vehicle crashes, categorized as 'Non-collision', were the dominant crash type, accounting for 78 of the 120 incidents (65%). Among multi-vehicle crashes, 'Rear-end' collisions were the most frequent, with 14 incidents (11.7%), followed by 'Broadside' collisions with 6 incidents (5%).

The most common pre-crash action for the 155 vehicles involved was 'Movement essentially straight', recorded for 88 vehicles. Other notable actions included 'Turning left' (11 vehicles) and 'Negotiating a curve' (7 vehicles).

Of the 193 individuals involved in crashes, 186 were drivers, making up 96.4% of all persons. The remaining 7 individuals were vehicle passengers. No pedestrians, cyclists, or other non-occupant types were recorded in any of the crash reports for this period.

Among the 193 people involved in crashes, 2 sustained fatal injuries and 35 sustained non-fatal injuries. The injury breakdown includes 3 serious injuries, 13 minor injuries, and 19 possible injuries. The majority of individuals involved in crashes were not physically injured.

Based on available data for 32 individuals, 22 were recorded as using a shoulder and lap belt. However, 6 individuals were noted as using no safety equipment at all. The data also shows 3 individuals used a child safety seat and 1 used a DOT-compliant helmet.

Single-vehicle crashes were the most common type, with 85 of the 120 total incidents (70.8%) involving only one vehicle. The remaining 35 crashes (29.2%) were two-vehicle collisions. No crashes involving three or more vehicles were reported during this period.