125 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

All killed or seriously injured persons were vehicle motorists. In total, 1 motorist was killed and 49 were injured in crashes during this period. There were no fatalities or injuries involving pedestrians or cyclists recorded in the data.

Crashes occurred most frequently on Fridays, with 23 incidents, and the peak time for collisions was the 6 p.m. hour, which saw 10 crashes. A majority of incidents, 70 crashes or 56%, happened during daylight hours. Crashes in darkness occurred in 22 instances, while 8 crashes took place during dawn or dusk.

A majority of crashes, 85 out of 125 (68%), resulted in no injuries and were classified as property-damage-only. The remaining 40 crashes involved injuries or a fatality. There was one fatal crash recorded during this period, which resulted in one person's death.

The leading contributing factor identified in crashes was an animal, cited in 32 incidents (25.6%). The next most common factors were drivers losing control (11 crashes, 8.8%), running off a straight road (7 crashes, 5.6%), and failure to yield the right-of-way from a stop sign (7 crashes, 5.6%).

A majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions, with 56.8% (71 crashes) happening in clear weather and 50.4% (63 crashes) on dry road surfaces. Daylight conditions were present for 70 of the 125 total crashes (56%). Adverse road surface conditions such as ice, snow, or slush were noted in a combined 18 incidents.

Individuals in the 65 and older age group were the most frequently involved demographic in crashes, with 43 persons recorded. The most common vehicle makes involved in collisions were Ford with 32 vehicles, CHEV with 23 vehicles, and both GMC and CHEVROLET with 16 vehicles each.

The most frequently recorded major cause of crashes was an animal, accounting for 32 incidents (25.6%). This was followed by a driver losing control, which was cited in 11 crashes (8.8%). Failure to yield from a stop sign and running off a straight road were each listed as the major cause for 7 crashes.

The most common first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in traffic, which occurred in 51 crashes. The second most frequent event was a collision with an animal, recorded in 32 incidents. An overturn or rollover was the first harmful event in 10 crashes.

The majority of crashes, 58 in total, occurred on non-intersection road segments. Intersection-related crashes accounted for 32 incidents, of which 20 were at four-way intersections and 7 were at T-intersections.

Passenger cars were the most prevalent vehicle type involved in crashes, with 70 vehicles recorded. Four-tire light trucks or pickups were the next most common with 48 vehicles, followed by sport utility vehicles with 33. There were 12 tractor/semi-trailers and 3 motorcycles involved in crashes.

For a large number of vehicles involved in collisions, no traffic controls were present, with 130 such instances documented. Where traffic controls were noted, stop signs were the most common, being a factor for 17 vehicles. Traffic signals were present for 3 vehicles involved in crashes.

The front of the vehicle was the most common point of initial impact, with 39 vehicles sustaining primary damage there. Rear damage, indicative of rear-end collisions, was the most severe damage for 17 vehicles. Combined, front-corner impacts on the driver and passenger sides were recorded for 26 vehicles.

Within city limits, Sac City had the highest crash volume with 18 incidents recorded. Lake View followed with 13 crashes, and Odebolt recorded 6 crashes during the period.

The vast majority of crashes, 109 incidents, occurred on paved roadways. Crashes on unpaved surfaces like gravel or dirt accounted for 15 incidents, representing 12.1% of crashes where this information was recorded.

In cases where a roadway factor was identified as a contributor, surface conditions such as wet or icy pavement were the most common, cited in 20 crashes. A work zone was noted as a contributing roadway factor in one crash.

The most frequent officer-estimated property damage cost fell within the $1,500 to $7,500 range, accounting for 93 crashes. An additional 31 crashes resulted in damages estimated between $7,500 and $25,000, while one crash had damage exceeding $25,000.

Nearly half of all incidents were single-vehicle, non-collision events, accounting for 59 crashes (47.2%). The most common type of multi-vehicle crash was a rear-end collision, with 19 incidents (15.2%), followed by broadside collisions with 15 incidents (12%).

The most common action by drivers immediately before a crash was moving straight ahead, which was recorded for 114 vehicles. Turning left was the next most frequent pre-crash action with 15 vehicles, followed by slowing or stopping for 8 vehicles.

Of the 239 individuals involved in crashes, the vast majority were drivers, accounting for 233 people. The remaining 6 individuals were recorded as passengers.

Across all persons involved in crashes, 1 individual sustained a fatal injury. An additional 49 people were injured, including 6 with serious injuries, 21 with minor injuries, and 22 with possible injuries.

Among the 45 vehicle occupants for whom safety equipment use was documented, 40 were reported to have used a shoulder and lap belt. One occupant was recorded as not using any safety equipment.

Single-vehicle crashes were the most common incident type, comprising 67 of the 125 total crashes (53.6%). Two-vehicle collisions were also frequent, with 54 incidents. There were 4 crashes that involved three vehicles.