256 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

The single fatality recorded in 2015 was a pedestrian. In addition to this fatality, 79 individuals were injured. The injured parties included 77 motorists and 2 cyclists. No cyclists or motorists were killed in this period.

Crashes in Jefferson County during this period occurred most frequently on Mondays, which saw a total of 55 incidents. The afternoon commute hour of 5 p.m. was the peak time for crashes, with 23 recorded events. Overall, a majority of crashes happened during daylight hours, accounting for 140 of the 256 total incidents.

The majority of crashes, 195 out of 256 (76.2%), resulted in no injuries and were classified as property-damage-only. Crashes involving injuries or a fatality accounted for the remaining 23.8% of incidents. There was one fatal crash recorded during this period, which resulted in one person being killed.

The most prevalent contributing factor cited in crashes was 'Animal,' accounting for 81 incidents or 31.6% of all crashes. 'Lost Control' was the second-leading factor, cited in 27 crashes (10.5%). Other significant factors included 'Failure to yield right of way from a stop sign' with 15 crashes (5.9%) and 'Followed too close' with 14 crashes (5.5%).

A majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions. Daylight was the lighting condition for 140 crashes (54.7%), while roads were reported as dry for 135 crashes (52.7%) and weather was clear for 122 crashes (47.6%). Adverse conditions included 13 crashes in snow, 11 in rain, and 27 on dark, unlighted roadways.

Among the 446 people involved in crashes, the most represented age groups were 26-34 and 65+, each with 75 individuals. The most common vehicle makes involved were Ford (58 vehicles), Chevrolet (combining 'CHEV' and 'CHEVROLET' for 69 vehicles), and Dodge (combining 'DODG' and 'DODGE' for 45 vehicles).

The leading major cause identified for crashes was 'Animal,' which was cited in 81 incidents. 'Lost Control' was the second most common cause with 27 crashes, followed by 'Failure to yield right of way from a stop sign' with 15 crashes. 'Followed too close' (14 crashes) and 'Ran Stop Sign' (12 crashes) were also frequently cited.

The most common first harmful event was a 'Collision with: Vehicle in traffic,' which occurred in 95 crashes. A 'Collision with: Animal' was a very close second, recorded as the first harmful event in 80 crashes. Single-vehicle events like 'Overturn/rollover' (20 crashes) and striking a ditch (15 crashes) were also significant.

A majority of crashes, 104 incidents, occurred at non-intersection locations described as having no special feature. Four-way intersections were the most common junction type for crashes, accounting for 48 incidents. T-intersections were the location for another 13 crashes.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, with 178 vehicles recorded. Light trucks and pickups were the next most frequent type with 75 vehicles, followed by sport utility vehicles (SUVs) with 66. Seven tractor-trailers and four motorcycles were also involved in incidents.

The majority of crashes, 194 incidents, occurred on roadway segments where no traffic controls were present. Stop signs were the most common form of traffic control at crash locations, present in 59 cases. Traffic signals were present for 25 crashes.

The front of the vehicle was the most common area of impact, with 88 vehicles sustaining primary damage there. Rear impacts, indicative of rear-end collisions, were the second most frequent, with 31 vehicles damaged at the rear. Front-corner impacts were also common, with 30 vehicles damaged on the front passenger side corner.

The highest number of crashes occurred in Fairfield, which recorded 108 incidents. Far fewer crashes were recorded in other municipalities, with Lockridge reporting 7 crashes and Maharishi Vedic City reporting 3. A single crash was also recorded in Batavia, Libertyville, and Sioux City within the county's jurisdiction.

The vast majority of crashes, 228 incidents, took place on paved roads. However, a notable 25 crashes, representing 9.9% of the total where surface type was known, occurred on unpaved surfaces such as gravel or dirt roads.

Among crashes where a roadway factor was cited, 'Surface condition (e.g. wet, icy)' was the most common contributor, noted in 24 incidents. Other less frequent factors included 'Slippery, loose or worn surface' (3 crashes) and 'Debris' on the roadway (2 crashes).

In cases where a driver's condition was noted as something other than 'apparently normal,' 'Under the influence of alcohol' was recorded for 8 drivers. 'Asleep/fatigued' was the condition for 7 drivers, and 'Emotional' (e.g., depressed, angry) was noted for 4 drivers.

For crashes with property damage estimates, the most frequent cost bracket was '$1,500 - $7,500,' which applied to 200 incidents. Forty-four crashes resulted in damages estimated between $7,500 and $25,000, while only two crashes were estimated to have damage exceeding $25,000.

Single-vehicle crashes were the predominant manner of collision, with 129 'Non-collision (single vehicle)' events making up 50.4% of all incidents. Among multi-vehicle crashes, broadside collisions were most common with 44 incidents (17.2%), followed by rear-end collisions with 35 incidents (13.7%).

The vast majority of vehicles involved in crashes, 243 in total, were engaged in 'Movement essentially straight' just before the incident. The next most common pre-crash action was 'Turning left,' which was reported for 20 vehicles. Nine vehicles were 'Stopped in traffic' prior to being involved in a collision.

Of the 446 individuals involved in crashes, the overwhelming majority, 424 people (95.1%), were drivers. Passengers accounted for 19 individuals, while 2 were bicyclists and 1 was a pedestrian.

A total of 80 individuals sustained injuries in crashes. Among them, 1 injury was fatal, 8 were classified as serious, 35 were minor, and 36 were categorized as possible injuries.

Based on the limited available data for safety equipment usage, 49 individuals were recorded as using a shoulder and lap belt. Five individuals were explicitly noted as having used no safety equipment. Other recorded uses included various types of child safety seats and one compliant helmet.

Single-vehicle crashes were the most common type, with 151 incidents, accounting for 59.0% of the total. Two-vehicle crashes were the next most frequent, with 100 incidents (39.1%). A small number of crashes, 5 in total, involved three vehicles.