180 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

In 2015, motorists accounted for all fatalities and the vast majority of injuries in Madison County crashes, with 4 motorists killed and 51 injured. Among vulnerable road users, one cyclist was reported injured. There were no pedestrian fatalities or injuries recorded during this period.

Crashes in Madison County occurred most frequently on Fridays, which saw 37 incidents in 2015. The single busiest hour for crashes was 3 p.m., with 16 recorded events. Analysis of lighting conditions shows that 87 crashes happened during daylight, while 54 occurred in dark conditions and 6 took place during dawn or dusk.

Of the 180 total crashes, 134 (74.4%) resulted in no injuries, being classified as property-damage-only events. The remaining 46 crashes involved at least one injury or fatality. There were 4 fatal crashes recorded during this period, which resulted in a total of 4 fatalities.

The most frequently cited contributing factor in Madison County crashes was an animal on the roadway, which was noted in 50 incidents (27.8%). Following this, 'Lost Control' was a factor in 24 crashes (13.3%), and 'Driving too fast for conditions' was cited in 13 crashes (7.2%). Failure to yield the right of way from a stop sign contributed to 12 crashes.

A significant portion of crashes occurred in ideal environmental conditions, with 85 incidents (47.2%) happening in clear weather and 89 (49.4%) on dry road surfaces. Crashes during daylight hours accounted for 87 of the total 180 events. For comparison, 12 crashes occurred in snow and 13 on snowy road surfaces.

Among the 312 individuals involved in crashes, the 16-20 age group was the most represented with 55 people, followed by the 35-44 age group with 45 people. Analysis of the 255 vehicles involved shows Chevrolet (69 vehicles), Ford (43 vehicles), and Dodge (34 vehicles) were the most common makes recorded in crash reports.

The leading major cause identified in crash reports was 'Animal,' contributing to 50 incidents. 'Lost Control' was the second most common cause, cited in 24 crashes, followed by 'Driving too fast for conditions' with 13 crashes. Failure to yield the right-of-way from a stop sign was listed as the cause in 12 crashes.

The most frequent first harmful events were collisions with another vehicle in traffic (51 incidents) and collisions with an animal (50 incidents). A notable number of crashes involved a single vehicle leaving the roadway, including 19 collisions with a ditch and 16 overturns or rollovers. Collisions with parked vehicles were the first harmful event in 13 incidents.

The majority of crashes, 99 in total, occurred at non-junction segments of the roadway. In contrast, 33 crashes took place at intersections, with four-way intersections being the most common type, accounting for 18 of these incidents. An additional 11 crashes were related to driveway access points.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, with 105 units recorded. Light trucks and pickups were the second most frequent with 64 vehicles, followed by sport utility vehicles with 51. The data also includes 6 motorcycles and 4 tractor-trailers involved in crashes during this period.

A substantial majority of crashes, 171 in total, occurred in areas with no traffic controls present. In locations with traffic controls, stop signs were the most common device, associated with 23 crashes. An additional 12 crashes occurred where 'No Passing Zone' markings were present.

Frontal impacts were the most common area of vehicle damage, with 44 vehicles sustaining damage to the front and 31 to the front-driver side corner. Side impacts were also frequent, with 15 vehicles damaged on the driver's side middle and 12 on the passenger's side middle. Rollovers or other events resulted in top damage for 21 vehicles.

Crash reports identified the location of incidents within several municipalities, with Winterset having the highest volume at 46 crashes. Following Winterset, the town of Earlham recorded 7 crashes. Other locations noted include Saint Charles and Truro, each with 3 crashes, and a portion of West Des Moines with 2 crashes.

Analysis of the road surface type shows that 144 crashes occurred on paved roads. A notable portion, 35 crashes or approximately 19.5% of those with a recorded surface type, took place on unpaved surfaces such as gravel or dirt roads.

In a minority of crashes, specific roadway factors were identified as contributors. The most common factor was the road surface condition, such as being wet or icy, which was cited in 29 incidents. Other noted factors included a slippery or worn surface in 2 crashes, and debris or shoulder issues in one crash each.

Officer-estimated property damage was most frequently assessed in the $1,500 to $7,500 range, which applied to 133 crashes. A smaller number of incidents, 41, resulted in damages estimated between $7,500 and $25,000. Three crashes were estimated to have caused property damage exceeding $25,000.

Single-vehicle crashes were the predominant manner of collision, accounting for 92 incidents, or 51.1% of the total. Among multi-vehicle crashes, broadside collisions were the most common type with 23 occurrences (12.8%). Rear-end collisions were recorded in 11 crashes, representing 6.1% of the total.

The most common pre-crash action for vehicles was 'Movement essentially straight,' recorded for 146 vehicles. Other frequent actions included turning left (12 vehicles), turning right (10 vehicles), and backing (10 vehicles). Additionally, 13 vehicles were legally parked when they were struck.

Of the 312 people involved in crashes, the vast majority, 301 individuals (96.5%), were drivers. The remaining persons included 10 passengers and one bicyclist. No pedestrians were recorded as being involved in any crash during this period.

Among all persons involved in crashes, there were 4 fatalities recorded. An additional 52 individuals sustained injuries, which were categorized as serious (11), minor (15), or possible (26).

Among the subset of participants for whom safety equipment use was recorded, 34 were noted as using a shoulder and lap belt. Ten individuals were reported as not using any safety equipment. The data also captured the use of two forward-facing child safety seats and two helmets.

Single-vehicle crashes were the most common incident type, accounting for 108 of the 180 total crashes (60%). Two-vehicle collisions made up the next largest group with 70 incidents (38.9%). There were also two crashes involving more than two vehicles, one with three and one with four vehicles.