694 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

In total, 4 people were killed and 214 were injured in crashes. Motorists comprised the largest group of casualties, with 3 killed and 204 injured. One cyclist was killed and 3 were injured, while 5 pedestrians sustained injuries but none were fatal.

Crashes in Marshall County occurred most frequently on Thursdays, which saw 116 incidents. The most common time for a crash was the 5 p.m. hour, with 59 events recorded during this period. The majority of collisions, 399 out of 694, happened during daylight hours.

Of the 694 total crashes, 522 (75.2%) resulted in no injuries, involving only property damage. The remaining incidents included 168 crashes with possible, minor, or serious injuries. Four separate crashes were fatal, leading to a total of 4 deaths.

The most common contributing factor identified in crashes was an animal in the roadway, cited in 143 incidents (20.6%). Other leading factors included drivers losing control (55 crashes, 7.9%) and failure to yield the right-of-way from a stop sign (52 crashes, 7.5%).

A significant majority of crashes occurred in ideal driving conditions. Specifically, 405 crashes (58.3%) happened on dry road surfaces, 352 (50.7%) in clear weather, and 399 (57.5%) during daylight hours. Crashes in adverse conditions included 42 in rain, 36 in snow, and 63 on wet road surfaces.

Among the 1,355 people involved in crashes, the 26-34 age group was the most represented with 214 individuals, followed closely by the 16-20 age group with 201 individuals. The most frequent vehicle makes involved in crashes were Chevrolet (239 vehicles) and Ford (184 vehicles), followed by Dodge (97 vehicles).

The leading major cause attributed to crashes was contact with an animal, which was cited in 143 incidents. Following this, losing control of the vehicle was listed as the cause for 55 crashes. Failure to yield the right-of-way from a stop sign was the third most frequent cause, contributing to 52 crashes.

The most common first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in traffic, occurring in 355 crashes. The second most frequent event was a collision with an animal, recorded in 142 crashes. Collisions with fixed objects were also common, with hitting a ditch being the most frequent among them (64 crashes).

Crashes were more likely to occur on non-intersection road segments, which accounted for 286 incidents. Four-way intersections were the most common junction type for crashes, with 176 incidents occurring at these locations. T-intersections were the site of another 36 crashes.

Passenger cars were the most prevalent vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 548 of the 1,126 vehicles. Sport utility vehicles were the second most common type with 212 vehicles, followed by four-tire light trucks and pickups with 189 vehicles. Larger commercial vehicles, such as tractor-trailers, were involved in 21 crashes.

Data on a per-vehicle basis shows that 612 vehicles were involved in crashes where no traffic controls were present. For crashes occurring at controlled locations, stop signs were the most common device, governing 187 of the involved vehicles. Traffic signals were present for 155 vehicles involved in collisions.

The front of the vehicle was the most common area of impact, recorded as the most damaged area for 251 vehicles. Rear impacts were noted in 96 instances, suggesting a significant number of rear-end collisions. Side impacts were also frequent, with damage to the driver-side middle (69 vehicles) and passenger-side middle (60 vehicles) being common.

Driver impairment was suspected in 22 crashes, representing 3.2% of all incidents. Of these, alcohol was a factor in 18 crashes and drugs were a factor in 4 crashes. These figures should be considered a minimum, as impairment is often under-reported in crash data.

Among crashes occurring within city limits, Marshalltown had the highest volume with 404 incidents. Other municipalities reported far fewer crashes, including State Center with 11, and both Le Grand and Gilman with 6 each. A significant portion of crashes in the county occur in rural areas outside of any city's jurisdiction.

The overwhelming majority of crashes, 661 out of 693 with roadway surface type specified, occurred on paved roads. Crashes on unpaved surfaces, such as gravel or dirt roads, accounted for 32 incidents, or approximately 4.6% of the total.

In a minority of crashes, a roadway factor was cited as a contributor. The most common factor was the road surface condition, such as being wet or icy, which was noted in 76 crashes. Other factors were cited infrequently, including work zones (3 crashes) and debris in the roadway (2 crashes).

While most drivers were recorded as 'apparently normal,' several other conditions were noted. Twenty-five drivers were identified as being under the influence of alcohol. Driver fatigue or falling asleep was noted for 9 drivers, and an emotional state, such as being depressed or angry, was also recorded for 9 drivers.

The most common estimated property damage cost was in the $1,500 to $7,500 range, which applied to 515 crashes. A smaller number of crashes resulted in more severe damage, with 149 estimated between $7,500 and $25,000, and 11 crashes causing damage of $25,000 or more.

Single-vehicle, non-collision events were the most frequent crash type, accounting for 247 incidents (35.6%). Among multi-vehicle crashes, broadside (front-to-side) collisions were the most common, with 124 occurrences (17.9%), followed by rear-end collisions, which happened 115 times (16.6%).

On a per-vehicle basis, the most common pre-crash action was moving straight ahead, which was the case for 667 vehicles. The next most frequent actions were turning left (100 vehicles) and being legally parked (53 vehicles).

For the 11 non-motorists involved in crashes, the most commonly reported action was entering or crossing the roadway, which was recorded for 8 individuals. Other actions, such as entering or exiting a vehicle, were noted for single individuals.

Of the 1,355 people involved in crashes, the vast majority were drivers (1,295). The remaining individuals included 49 passengers, 5 pedestrians, 4 bicyclists, and 2 other non-motorists.

Among the 1,355 people involved in crashes, 4 sustained fatal injuries and 214 sustained non-fatal injuries of varying severity. This includes 20 serious injuries, 78 minor injuries, and 116 possible injuries.

Among the 165 crash participants for whom safety equipment use was recorded, 149 were using a shoulder and lap belt. Eleven individuals, or 6.7% of this subset, were recorded as using no safety equipment at the time of the crash. Two participants were noted as wearing a DOT-compliant helmet.

Two-vehicle collisions were the most common type of incident, accounting for 390 of the 694 total crashes (56.2%). Single-vehicle crashes were also frequent, with 285 incidents, making up 41.1% of the total. Crashes involving three or more vehicles were less common, with 19 such events recorded.