128 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

In 2015, crashes in Monroe County resulted in 2 motorists killed and 35 motorists injured. No cyclists were killed or injured. One pedestrian was injured, but there were no pedestrian fatalities. The data clearly indicates that vehicle occupants constituted the entirety of fatalities and the vast majority of injuries.

Crash occurrences in Monroe County were most frequent on Mondays, which saw 25 incidents, closely followed by Thursdays with 24. The most common time for crashes was the 9 p.m. hour, with 11 incidents recorded. While more crashes happened during daylight hours (52 incidents), a significant number also occurred in dark conditions, including 28 on unlit roadways and 8 on lit roadways.

The vast majority of crashes, 100 out of 128, resulted in no injuries, accounting for 78.1% of all incidents. Injury-sustaining crashes included 4 with serious injuries, 4 with minor injuries, and 18 with possible injuries. Two separate crashes were fatal, resulting in a total of 2 fatalities for the year.

The leading contributing factor to crashes was overwhelmingly animals, cited in 46 incidents, or 35.9% of the total. The next most common factor was losing control of the vehicle, which accounted for 12 crashes (9.4%). Following this, several factors were each responsible for 7 crashes (5.5% each), including following too closely, running a stop sign, running off a straight road, and failure to yield the right-of-way from a stop sign.

A majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions, with 70 incidents happening in clear weather and 63 on dry road surfaces. Daylight was the most frequent lighting condition, present for 52 crashes. However, adverse conditions were also a factor, with 11 crashes on wet roads, 6 during rain, and a combined 7 on roads with snow or ice. Crashes in low light were also notable, with 38 incidents occurring in dark conditions.

The most frequently involved vehicle makes in crashes were Chevrolet (47 vehicles), Ford (32), and Dodge (15), combining abbreviated and full names from the data. Analysis of persons involved shows the 35-44 age group was the most represented, with 37 individuals. Other highly represented groups include those aged 45-54 (33 people), 16-20 (31 people), and both the 21-25 and 26-34 age brackets (30 people each).

The most frequently cited major cause for crashes was interaction with an animal, accounting for 46 of 128 incidents (35.9%). Losing control of the vehicle was the second leading cause, with 12 incidents (9.4%). Other significant causes, each contributing to 7 crashes (5.5%), were following too closely, running a stop sign, and failing to yield the right-of-way from a stop sign.

The initial event in crashes was almost evenly split between a collision with another vehicle in traffic (47 incidents) and a collision with an animal (46 incidents). These two events together initiated 72.7% of all crashes. Collisions with fixed objects were less common, with the most frequent being running into a ditch, which occurred in 10 crashes.

Crashes were more likely to occur on non-junction road segments than at intersections. The data shows 48 crashes happened on straight or curved sections of road with no special feature. In contrast, 31 crashes occurred at intersections, with four-way intersections being the most common type, accounting for 21 of these incidents.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, with 71 units, followed by four-tire light trucks or pickups (47) and sport utility vehicles (33). These three categories comprised 82.1% of the 184 vehicles involved in incidents. Notably, 9 tractor-trailers and 4 motorcycles were also involved in crashes during this period.

A significant majority of crashes, 109 incidents, occurred in areas where no traffic controls were present. For crashes that did happen at controlled locations, stop signs were the most common traffic control device, noted in 22 incidents. Crashes at locations with traffic signals (6 incidents) or railway crossing devices (7 incidents) were less frequent.

The front of the vehicle was the most common area of initial impact, recorded as the most damaged area for 38 vehicles. Rear impacts were noted in 16 cases, suggesting a notable share of rear-end type collisions. Impacts to the front-driver side corner (14 vehicles) and various points along the driver and passenger sides were also frequently reported.

Within Monroe County, the city of Albia recorded the highest number of crashes with 48 incidents. The town of Lovilia reported 7 crashes. A large number of crashes in the county occurred outside of any specific city's limits and are therefore not included in this municipal breakdown.

Of the crashes where the road surface type was specified, 111 occurred on paved roads. A smaller but significant number, 16 crashes, took place on unpaved surfaces such as gravel or dirt roads. This represents 12.6% of the 127 crashes with available surface data, highlighting the role of the county's secondary road network in traffic incidents.

While most drivers were recorded as 'apparently normal,' the data specifies conditions for a subset of individuals. Among these, driving under the influence of alcohol was the most cited condition, noted for 5 drivers. Additionally, 2 drivers were identified as being asleep or fatigued at the time of their crash.

The estimated property damage for the majority of crashes fell into the '$1,500 - $7,500' range, which applied to 106 of the 128 incidents (82.8%). More severe damage was less common, with 16 crashes estimated between $7,500 and $25,000, and only 3 crashes exceeding $25,000 in property damage.

Single-vehicle incidents were the most common manner of collision, accounting for 58 of the 128 total crashes (45.3%). Among multi-vehicle crashes, broadside collisions were the most frequent type, with 26 incidents (20.3%), followed by rear-end collisions, which occurred 15 times (11.7%).

The most common action drivers were taking immediately before a crash was simply moving straight ahead, which was the case in 110 instances. The next most frequent pre-crash action was turning left, recorded for 11 vehicles. Backing and being stopped in traffic were also noted, with 7 and 6 instances respectively.

Of the 223 people involved in crashes, the overwhelming majority were drivers, accounting for 212 individuals (95.1%). Passengers made up a small fraction of the total, with 10 individuals (4.5%). Only one pedestrian was involved in a crash during this period.

Out of 223 individuals involved in crashes, 38 people were either injured or killed. This includes 2 fatalities and 36 individuals who sustained injuries ranging from possible to serious. The remaining 185 people involved in these incidents were not reported as injured.

Based on the limited available data for safety equipment usage, 22 occupants were reported as using a shoulder and lap belt. Of the 26 individuals for whom restraint use was documented, 3 were reported as using no safety equipment. One person was recorded as wearing a DOT-compliant helmet.

Single-vehicle crashes were the most common type of incident, accounting for 76 of the 128 total crashes (59.4%). Two-vehicle collisions were the next most frequent, with 49 incidents (38.3%). Multi-vehicle pile-ups involving three or more vehicles were rare, with only three such crashes recorded.