342 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

In 2015, motorists accounted for all 3 fatalities and 107 of the 109 total injuries recorded in Henry County. No pedestrians were killed or injured in traffic crashes during this period. One cyclist was reported as injured, but there were no cyclist fatalities.

Crashes in Henry County were most frequent on Wednesdays, which saw 65 incidents in 2015. The single busiest hour for crashes was 3 p.m., with 31 events recorded. Overall, collisions occurred more often during daylight hours, which accounted for 164 crashes, compared to 81 crashes during dark, dawn, or dusk conditions.

The majority of crashes in 2015, approximately 76.3% (261 incidents), resulted in no injuries. The remaining incidents involved at least one injury or fatality. There were 3 fatal crashes recorded, which resulted in a total of 3 fatalities.

The most frequently cited contributing factor in Henry County crashes was 'Animal,' accounting for 118 incidents, or 34.5% of the total. Following this, 'Lost Control' was noted in 31 crashes (9.1%), and 'Ran off road - straight' was a factor in 19 crashes (5.6%). Failure to yield the right-of-way from a stop sign contributed to 16 crashes.

A substantial portion of crashes occurred in ideal driving conditions, with 51.7% of incidents happening on dry roads (177 crashes) and 48% taking place in daylight (164 crashes). Crashes during clear weather accounted for 158 incidents. Adverse weather such as snow, rain, or freezing rain was present in a combined 26 crashes.

Analysis of persons involved in crashes shows the 26-34 age group was the most frequently represented, with 111 individuals, followed by the 45-54 age group with 99 individuals. Among the 483 vehicles involved, Ford was the most common make with 72 vehicles, followed by 'CHEV' with 50 vehicles and 'DODGE' with 40 vehicles.

The primary major cause identified in crashes was interaction with an animal, cited in 118 incidents (34.5%). 'Lost Control' was the second most common cause, contributing to 31 crashes (9.1%), followed by 'Ran off road - straight' with 19 crashes (5.6%). Other notable causes included 'Failure to yield from a stop sign' (16 crashes) and 'Followed too close' (15 crashes).

The most common first harmful event was a 'Collision with a vehicle in traffic,' which occurred in 122 crashes. This was closely followed by 'Collision with an animal,' documented in 118 incidents. Collisions with fixed objects were also frequent, with the most common being collisions with a ditch (30 crashes) and non-collision overturns/rollovers (18 crashes).

Analysis of crash locations shows that a majority of incidents occurred on non-intersection road segments, with 130 crashes coded as 'Non-junction/no special feature.' In contrast, 62 crashes occurred at four-way intersections and 12 at T-intersections.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 209 of the 483 vehicles. Light trucks and pickups were the second most frequent with 99 vehicles, followed by sport utility vehicles with 89. Commercial tractor-trailers were involved in 19 incidents, while motorcycles were involved in 3.

A significant majority of incidents, 261 cases, occurred where no traffic controls were present. For crashes at controlled locations, stop signs were the most common form of traffic control, noted in 67 cases. Traffic signals were present in 15 crashes.

The front of the vehicle was the most common area of damage, recorded in 106 instances. Rear impacts, often associated with rear-end collisions, were noted in 36 cases. Side impacts were also common, with 23 vehicles damaged on the driver's side middle and 21 on the passenger's side middle.

Driver impairment was noted as a factor in 11 crashes, representing 3.2% of all incidents. Of these, 9 cases involved alcohol, 1 involved drugs, and 1 involved both alcohol and drugs.

Crash data is available for several municipalities, with Mount Pleasant reporting the highest volume at 112 crashes. New London followed with 7 crashes, and Olds recorded 6 crashes. Other towns like Winfield (5 crashes) and Salem (3 crashes) reported fewer incidents.

The vast majority of crashes, 313 incidents, occurred on paved roads. Crashes on unpaved surfaces like gravel or dirt accounted for 27 incidents, representing approximately 7.9% of the crashes where road surface type was specified.

In cases where a roadway factor was identified as contributing to a crash, 'Surface condition' such as wet or icy roads was the most common, cited in 28 incidents. Other noted factors were minor, including 'Debris' in the roadway (2 incidents) and 'Obstruction in roadway' (1 incident).

While most drivers were recorded as 'apparently normal,' 11 drivers were noted as being under the influence of alcohol. Driver fatigue was also a factor, with 9 drivers recorded as 'asleep/fatigued.' An emotional state, such as anger or depression, was noted for 4 drivers.

The estimated cost of property damage was most frequently in the $1,500 to $7,500 range, which applied to 257 crashes (75.1%). A smaller number of high-cost incidents occurred, with 9 crashes resulting in property damage estimated at over $25,000. Crashes with damage between $7,500 and $25,000 accounted for 68 incidents.

Nearly half of all crashes, 170 incidents or 49.7%, were single-vehicle, non-collision events such as running off the road or overturning. Among multi-vehicle crashes, rear-end and broadside collisions were the most common types, each accounting for 43 incidents (12.6% of the total).

The most common pre-crash action for vehicles was 'Movement essentially straight,' recorded for 269 of the 483 vehicles involved in crashes. Turning maneuvers were also frequent precursors to crashes, with 33 vehicles turning left and 16 vehicles turning right immediately before their respective incidents.

Of the 595 individuals involved in crashes, the vast majority, 561 people (94.3%), were drivers. Passengers accounted for 32 of the individuals involved. The data also includes one bicyclist and one other non-motorist.

Among all 595 people involved in crashes, 3 sustained fatal injuries. An additional 109 individuals were injured, including 5 with serious injuries, 39 with minor injuries, and 65 with possible injuries. The remaining 483 individuals were not injured.

Based on the limited data available for safety equipment use, 73 occupants were recorded as using both a shoulder and lap belt. In 12 instances, it was noted that no safety equipment was used, representing 13.6% of the subset with available data. An additional 3 individuals used only a lap belt.

Single-vehicle crashes were the most common type of incident, accounting for 210 of the 342 total crashes (61.4%). Two-vehicle collisions made up another 124 incidents (36.3%). Crashes involving three or more vehicles were less frequent, with a total of 8 such events recorded.