150 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

In 2015, all 54 reported injuries and 0 fatalities involved motorists. There were no pedestrians or cyclists reported as killed or injured in any traffic crashes within the county during this period. The data indicates that crash impacts were confined to vehicle occupants.

Crashes in Palo Alto County were most frequent on Mondays, which saw 31 incidents in 2015. The single busiest hour for crashes was 3 p.m., with 12 recorded events. Overall, a majority of crashes, 80 out of 150, occurred during daylight hours.

The vast majority of crashes, 78% (117 incidents), resulted in no injuries. Injury-related crashes accounted for the remaining 22%, with 2 classified as serious injury, 20 as minor injury, and 11 as possible injury. There were no fatal crashes recorded in 2015, and consequently, no fatalities.

The most common contributing factor cited in crashes was 'Animal,' accounting for 40 incidents, or 26.7% of the total. Other significant factors included 'Failure to Yield Right of Way from a stop sign' with 12 crashes (8.0%) and 'Lost Control' with 11 crashes (7.3%). Various forms of driver distraction were noted in 8 crashes combined.

A majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions, with 80 incidents happening in daylight, 70 on dry road surfaces, and 54 in clear weather. Adverse conditions included 24 crashes on unlighted dark roadways, 15 on icy or frosty surfaces, and 8 during snowfall.

Analysis of the 277 people involved in crashes shows the most represented age groups were 45-54 years old (45 people), 16-20 years old (44 people), and 26-34 years old (40 people). Among the 223 vehicles involved, Chevrolet was the most frequent make with 62 vehicles, followed by Ford with 37 and Dodge with 24.

The leading major cause of crashes was interaction with an animal, cited in 40 incidents (26.7%). Failure to yield the right of way from a stop sign was the second most common cause, contributing to 12 crashes (8.0%). This was followed by losing control of the vehicle (11 crashes, 7.3%) and running off a straight road (9 crashes, 6.0%).

The most frequent first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in traffic, which occurred in 59 crashes. The second most common event was a collision with an animal, recorded in 40 incidents. Collisions with fixed objects were also prevalent, with hitting a ditch being the most common of these with 11 occurrences, followed by rollovers in 10 non-collision events.

A majority of crashes, 60 incidents, occurred at non-junction locations along a road segment, with an additional 10 crashes related to driveways. In contrast, 40 crashes happened at intersections, with four-way intersections being the most common type, accounting for 28 of these incidents.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, with 76 units recorded. Light trucks and pickups were the second most frequent with 58 vehicles, followed by sport utility vehicles at 49. Crashes also involved 12 tractor/semi-trailers and 2 motorcycles.

The vast majority of crashes occurred where no traffic controls were present, with 147 such instances reported. Stop signs were the most common form of traffic control involved in crashes, noted in 28 cases. Traffic signals were a factor in 4 incidents.

The front of the vehicle was the most common area of damage, reported in 48 cases. Side impacts were also frequent, with 19 instances of damage to the driver's side middle area and 14 to the passenger's side middle area. Damage to the rear of the vehicle was noted in 8 crashes.

Crash distribution across municipalities shows Emmetsburg with the highest volume, recording 40 crashes. West Bend had the second-highest number of incidents with 8, followed closely by Graettinger with 7. The remaining crashes were spread across Ruthven (2), Ayrshire (1), and Cylinder (1).

The data indicates that 128 crashes occurred on paved roads. A notable portion, 20 crashes or approximately 13.5% of the reported total, took place on unpaved surfaces such as gravel or dirt roads.

For the small number of crashes where a roadway factor was cited, surface condition was the leading contributor, noted in 17 incidents. Other factors such as ruts, holes, or worn surfaces were each cited in a single crash. In most incidents, no specific roadway factor was identified as a contributor.

The most common estimated property damage cost was in the $1,500 to $7,500 range, which applied to 100 crashes. Forty crashes resulted in damages between $7,500 and $25,000. Nine crashes were estimated to have damage costs exceeding $25,000.

Single-vehicle, non-collision events were the most common manner of crash, accounting for 65 incidents or 43.3% of the total. Among multi-vehicle crashes, broadside collisions were most frequent, with 26 occurrences (17.3%). Rear-end collisions were reported in 13 crashes, representing 8.7% of the total.

The vast majority of vehicles, 133, were moving essentially straight prior to the crash. The next most common pre-crash actions were turning left, reported for 13 vehicles, and being legally parked, reported for 12 vehicles. Other actions like backing and slowing were less frequent.

Of the 277 individuals involved in crashes, the overwhelming majority, 262 people, were drivers. Passengers accounted for the remaining 15 individuals. No other person types, such as pedestrians or cyclists, were recorded in the crash data.

A total of 54 individuals sustained injuries in crashes. Among these, 30 were classified as minor injuries, 21 as possible injuries, and 3 as serious injuries. No fatalities were recorded among any persons involved in crashes during this period.

Based on available data for 43 occupants, 33 were reported as using a shoulder and lap belt. Seven individuals were recorded as not using any safety equipment. The data also noted the use of a booster seat, a lap belt only, and a forward-facing child seat in one instance each.

Single-vehicle crashes were the most common type, with 80 incidents, making up 53.3% of the total. Two-vehicle collisions were also frequent, accounting for 68 crashes (45.3%). There were two multi-vehicle incidents reported, one involving three vehicles and another involving four.