150 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

In 2015, all 33 reported injuries in Humboldt County crashes involved motorists. There were no fatalities or injuries recorded for pedestrians or cyclists during this period. Similarly, no motorists were killed in traffic crashes.

Crash patterns in Humboldt County during 2015 show a concentration on weekdays, with Thursday being the peak day for incidents, recording 28 crashes. The most frequent time for crashes was the 3 p.m. hour, which saw 19 incidents. The majority of crashes, 91 out of 150, occurred during daylight hours.

The vast majority of crashes in 2015, 122 out of 150 (81.3%), resulted in no injuries and were classified as property-damage-only. There were 28 crashes that involved injuries, categorized as either minor (11 crashes) or possible (17 crashes). No fatal crashes were recorded during this period, and there were no fatalities.

The leading contributing factor for crashes was interaction with an animal, cited in 43 incidents and representing 28.7% of the total. Following this, 'Lost Control' was a factor in 12 crashes (8.0%), and 'Ran off road - straight' was noted in 10 crashes (6.7%).

A majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions, with 91 incidents (60.7%) happening in daylight, 69 (46%) in clear weather, and 81 (54%) on dry road surfaces. Adverse weather was a factor in a smaller portion of crashes, with 13 incidents occurring during snow and 8 during rain. Icy or frosty road surfaces were present in 16 crashes.

The age group most frequently involved in crashes was individuals aged 65 and older, with 47 persons recorded, followed by the 45-54 age group with 35 persons. Analysis of vehicle makes shows Chevrolet was the most common with 70 vehicles involved, followed by Ford with 39 vehicles and Dodge with 24 vehicles.

The most frequently cited major cause of crashes was 'Animal', which was attributed to 43 incidents. 'Lost Control' was the second leading cause with 12 crashes, followed by 'Ran off road - straight' with 10 crashes. Other notable causes included 'Driving too fast for conditions' and 'Ran off road - left', each contributing to 8 crashes.

The most common first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in traffic, which occurred in 63 crashes. The second most frequent event was a collision with an animal, recorded in 43 incidents. Run-off-road events were also significant, including 9 rollovers and 9 crashes where the first harmful event was striking a ditch.

Crashes were more likely to occur on non-intersection road segments, which accounted for 59 incidents. Four-way intersections were the most common junction type for crashes, with 39 incidents occurring at these locations. An additional 6 crashes happened at T-intersections.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, with 92 vehicles recorded. Light trucks and pickups were the second most frequent type with 53 vehicles, followed by sport utility vehicles with 41. Heavy commercial vehicles, such as tractor-trailers, were involved in 5 crashes, and one motorcycle was involved in a crash.

The majority of vehicles involved in crashes, 139 out of 226, were in areas with no traffic controls present. For vehicles at locations with controls, stop signs were the most common type, associated with 29 vehicles. Traffic signals and yield signs were each present for 8 vehicles involved in crashes.

The front of the vehicle was the most common area of impact, with 52 vehicles sustaining damage to the front center. Front-corner impacts were also frequent, with 21 on the passenger side and 13 on the driver side. Rear-end impacts were indicated by 15 vehicles with damage to the rear.

Crash incidents within municipal boundaries were concentrated in the city of Humboldt, which recorded 63 crashes. Other towns in the county saw significantly fewer incidents, with Dakota City reporting 4 crashes and Livermore reporting 3. A single crash was recorded in each of Bode, Bradgate, and Rutland.

The vast majority of crashes, 142 out of 149 for which road surface type was specified, occurred on paved roads. Crashes on unpaved surfaces such as gravel or dirt accounted for 7 incidents, representing approximately 4.7% of these crashes.

In cases where a roadway factor was identified as contributing to a crash, the most common was the road surface condition, such as being wet or icy, which was cited in 23 incidents. An additional crash was attributed to ruts, holes, or bumps in the road surface. For most crashes, no specific roadway factor was identified.

The most common estimated property damage cost was in the $1,500 to $7,500 range, which applied to 106 crashes. A further 38 crashes resulted in damages estimated between $7,500 and $25,000. Three crashes were estimated to have damage exceeding $25,000.

Single-vehicle, non-collision events, such as running off the road or overturning, were the most common type of incident, accounting for 67 crashes or 44.7% of the total. Among multi-vehicle crashes, broadside collisions were most frequent with 27 incidents (18%), followed by rear-end collisions with 18 incidents (12%).

The most common pre-crash action for vehicles involved was 'Movement essentially straight,' which was recorded for 140 of the 226 vehicles. Turning left was the next most frequent action, noted for 16 vehicles. Other actions such as turning right, slowing or stopping, and being legally parked were each recorded for 9 vehicles.

The overwhelming majority of individuals involved in crashes were drivers, accounting for 255 of the 259 people recorded. Passengers accounted for the remaining 4 individuals. No pedestrians or cyclists were recorded as being involved in these crashes.

A total of 33 individuals sustained injuries in crashes. Of these, 21 people had injuries classified as 'Possible,' and 12 people had 'Minor' injuries. There were no fatal or serious injuries recorded among any persons involved in crashes during this period.

Crashes were nearly evenly split between single-vehicle and two-vehicle incidents. Single-vehicle crashes accounted for 77 incidents (51.3% of the total), while 71 crashes involved two vehicles. There was one crash involving three vehicles and one involving four vehicles.