180 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

In 2015, vehicle occupants accounted for the single fatality and the vast majority of injuries. One motorist was killed and 55 were injured. Additionally, one pedestrian and one cyclist sustained injuries, though no fatalities were recorded for these groups.

Crash occurrences in Page County during 2015 were most frequent on Saturdays, with 36 incidents recorded. The single most common time for crashes was the 5 p.m. hour, which saw 18 incidents. A majority of crashes, 114 out of 180, occurred during daylight hours.

The majority of crashes, 132 out of 180 (73.3%), resulted in no injuries and were property-damage-only events. Crashes involving an injury accounted for 26.1% of the total, distributed among serious (5 crashes), minor (16 crashes), and possible injuries (26 crashes). There was one fatal crash recorded in 2015, which resulted in one person's death.

The most frequently cited contributing factor in Page County crashes was an animal, involved in 27 incidents (15%). This was followed by failure to yield the right-of-way from a stop sign, which contributed to 16 crashes (8.9%). Losing control of the vehicle was cited as a factor in 13 crashes (7.2%).

A majority of crashes occurred under favorable conditions, with 66.1% on dry roads (119 crashes) and 63.3% in daylight (114 crashes). Clear weather was reported for 101 crashes (56.1%). Crashes in adverse weather were less frequent, with 7 incidents occurring in rain and 4 in snow.

Among the 360 people involved in crashes, the most represented age group was 65 and older, with 54 individuals. Among the 299 vehicles involved, the most common makes were Chevrolet (a combined 70 vehicles across 'CHEV' and 'CHEVROLET' entries), Ford (56 vehicles), and Dodge (a combined 39 vehicles across 'DODG' and 'DODGE' entries).

The leading major cause attributed to crashes was 'Animal,' cited in 27 incidents. Failure to yield the right-of-way was also a significant factor, with 16 cases occurring at a stop sign and 10 cases involving a left turn. 'Lost Control' was listed as the cause for 13 crashes.

The most frequent first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in traffic, which occurred in 97 crashes. The second most common event was a collision with an animal, accounting for 27 incidents. Collisions with a fixed object were also notable, including 14 crashes where the first harmful event was hitting a ditch.

Crashes were more common on non-intersection road segments, with 75 incidents occurring at a 'Non-junction/no special feature'. In contrast, 67 crashes occurred at intersections, with four-way intersections being the most common type, accounting for 50 of these incidents.

Passenger cars were the most prevalent vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 143 vehicles. Light trucks and pickups were the second most common with 66 vehicles, followed by Sport Utility Vehicles with 54. Motorcycles were involved in 6 crashes, and tractor/semi-trailers were involved in 3.

The majority of vehicles involved in crashes were in locations with no traffic controls present, a situation recorded for 193 vehicles. For crashes at controlled locations, stop signs were the most common device, present for 47 vehicles involved in crashes. Traffic signals were noted for 11 vehicles.

Frontal impacts were the most common type of vehicle damage, with 77 vehicles sustaining damage to the front center and a combined 60 vehicles damaged on the front corners. Rear impacts, indicative of rear-end collisions, were recorded for 25 vehicles. Damage to the side of the vehicle was also frequent, noted in various forms on 79 vehicles.

The majority of crashes within municipal limits occurred in the county's two largest cities. Shenandoah recorded 58 crashes, and Clarinda recorded 52. Smaller towns such as Yorktown, Essex, and Hepburn each reported 3 crashes.

The vast majority of crashes, 159 out of 180, occurred on paved roadways. A notable portion, 21 crashes or 11.7% of the total, took place on unpaved surfaces such as gravel or dirt roads.

In a minority of crashes, specific roadway factors were noted as contributors. The most cited factor was 'Surface condition (e.g. wet, icy),' which was a factor in 11 crashes. Other noted factors included 'Slippery, loose or worn surface' in 3 crashes and 'Ruts/holes/bumps' in 2 crashes.

In cases where a driver's condition was recorded as something other than 'apparently normal,' the most common factor was being asleep or fatigued, noted for 5 drivers. Emotional distress was cited for 3 drivers, and being under the influence of alcohol was also recorded for 3 drivers.

The estimated property damage for most crashes fell into the '$1,500 - $7,500' range, which applied to 125 incidents. A smaller number of crashes, 45, resulted in damage estimated between $7,500 and $25,000. High-damage crashes, those exceeding $25,000, accounted for 4 incidents.

The most common type of crash was a non-collision event involving a single vehicle, such as running off the road, which accounted for 65 incidents or 36.1% of the total. Among multi-vehicle crashes, broadside collisions were most frequent with 44 incidents (24.4%), followed by rear-end collisions with 30 incidents (16.7%).

An analysis of driver actions prior to a crash shows that the vast majority of vehicles, 187 out of 299, were moving essentially straight. The next most common pre-crash actions were turning left, reported for 27 vehicles, and being legally parked, reported for 22 vehicles.

Of the 360 individuals involved in crashes, the vast majority, 341 people, were drivers. Passengers accounted for 17 individuals, while one pedestrian and one bicyclist were also involved in incidents over the year.

Among the 360 people involved in crashes, a total of 58 sustained some level of injury or were killed. This includes one fatality, 7 serious injuries, 17 minor injuries, and 33 possible injuries. This represents 16.1% of all persons involved.

In the subset of crash reports where safety equipment use was specified, 29 individuals were recorded as using a shoulder and lap belt. Notably, 9 individuals were recorded as using no restraints. Additionally, 2 participants were noted as wearing a DOT-compliant helmet.

The most common crash configuration involved two vehicles, which occurred in 109 incidents. Single-vehicle crashes were also frequent, accounting for 66 incidents, or 36.7% of the total. A small number of crashes, 5, involved three vehicles.