54,847 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

Motor vehicle occupants represented the largest group of casualties, with 288 motorists killed and 18,250 injured. Vulnerable road users also suffered significant harm, with 25 pedestrians killed and 435 injured. Additionally, 5 cyclists were killed and 376 were injured in traffic collisions during this period.

Crashes occurred most frequently on Fridays, with 9,296 incidents recorded throughout the year. The single busiest hour was the 5 p.m. commute, which saw 4,698 crashes. The majority of collisions, 34,170 out of 54,847, happened during daylight hours.

The vast majority of crashes (71.6%) resulted in no injuries. Injury-involved crashes accounted for 27.8% of the total, distributed among serious (2.2%), minor (8.8%), and possible (16.8%) injury categories. There were 283 fatal crashes, which resulted in a total of 321 fatalities, as a single crash can involve more than one death.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 283 fatal crash events resulted in 321 persons killed.

The most common contributing factor cited in crashes was 'Animal,' involved in 7,390 incidents (13.5%). This was followed by driver behaviors such as 'Followed too close' with 5,619 crashes (10.2%) and 'Lost Control' with 3,374 crashes (6.2%). Other significant factors included running off the road and failure to yield at stop signs.

The majority of crashes occurred in ideal driving conditions, with 55% of crashes (30,130) happening in clear weather and 62.9% (34,484) on dry road surfaces. Over 62% of all collisions (34,170) occurred during daylight hours. Crashes in adverse weather included 3,851 in rain and 2,677 in snow, while crashes in darkness accounted for a combined 12,363 incidents.

Analysis of persons involved in crashes shows the 26-34 age group was the most represented, with 18,420 individuals. Among the 94,416 vehicles involved, Chevrolet (18,905 vehicles) and Ford (15,399 vehicles) were the most frequent makes recorded in collisions. Dodge (7,025 vehicles) and Toyota (6,645 vehicles) were also commonly involved.

The leading major cause attributed to crashes was 'Animal,' cited in 7,390 incidents. This was followed by driver behaviors such as 'Followed too close' (5,619 crashes) and 'Lost Control' (3,374 crashes). Other frequently recorded causes included 'Ran off road - left' (3,179) and 'Driving too fast for conditions' (3,016).

The most common first harmful event was a 'Collision with: Vehicle in traffic,' which occurred in 31,662 crashes. The second most frequent event was a 'Collision with: Animal,' recorded in 7,260 incidents. Collisions with fixed objects, such as ditches (2,399), utility poles (954), and trees (385), also represented a significant portion of initial impacts.

Crashes were most likely to occur on non-intersection road segments, with 25,088 incidents (45.7% of total) recorded at non-junction locations. Four-way intersections were the most common type of junction for crashes, accounting for 13,480 incidents (24.6%). T-intersections were the next most frequent crash site, with 3,627 collisions.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 46,126 units (48.8% of all vehicles). Sport utility vehicles (19,230) and four-tire light trucks (14,671) were the next most frequent types. Commercial vehicles like tractor/semi-trailers were involved in 2,462 crashes, while motorcycles were involved in 1,033.

For a majority of vehicles involved in crashes (53,806), no traffic controls were present at the scene. Traffic signals were the most common form of control, present for 20,780 vehicles involved in collisions. Stop signs were present for another 9,668 vehicles.

The front of the vehicle was the most common area of impact, recorded as the most damaged area for 24,448 vehicles. Rear impacts were the second most frequent, with 12,268 vehicles sustaining the most damage to the rear. Impacts to the driver side (4,972) and passenger side (4,298) were also common.

Driver impairment was noted in 1,842 crashes, representing 3.4% of all collisions. Among these, alcohol was the primary substance in 1,662 cases. Drug impairment was cited in 123 crashes, and a combination of alcohol and drugs was recorded in 57 incidents.

Crash distribution is concentrated in Iowa's major population centers. Polk County had the highest volume with 9,961 crashes, accounting for 18.2% of the statewide total. The next most frequent counties were Scott (4,018), Linn (3,347), and Johnson (2,380), with the top five counties collectively representing over 40% of all crashes.

The highest concentration of crashes within municipal boundaries occurred in Iowa's largest cities. Des Moines led with 5,522 crashes, followed by Davenport with 3,057 incidents. Cedar Rapids (2,075 crashes) and Sioux City (2,031 crashes) also reported high volumes of collisions. Many crashes occur in unincorporated rural areas and are not included in this city-specific ranking.

The vast majority of crashes, 52,226 incidents, occurred on paved roadways. Crashes on unpaved surfaces like gravel or dirt roads accounted for 2,385 incidents, or approximately 4.4% of the total where surface type was recorded. This reflects the state's extensive network of secondary roads.

While most crashes did not have a roadway factor cited, 'Surface condition' was the most common contributor when one was noted, playing a role in 5,870 crashes. Work zones were a factor in 601 incidents. Other notable factors included 'Slippery, loose or worn surface' (346 crashes) and 'Debris' in the roadway (146 crashes).

Among crashes where a driver condition other than 'apparently normal' was recorded, driving under the influence of alcohol was the most frequent, cited for 2,049 drivers. Driver fatigue or falling asleep was noted for 763 drivers, a condition often associated with long-distance travel. Emotional state (467 drivers) and medical conditions (340 drivers) were also recorded as contributing factors.

The distribution of crashes across Iowa DOT districts reflects population and traffic density. District 1, which includes the Des Moines metro area, recorded the highest number of crashes at 15,754. District 6, covering eastern Iowa including Cedar Rapids and Davenport, followed closely with 14,824 crashes. These two districts combined accounted for more than half of the state's total incidents.

The most common range for estimated property damage was between $1,500 and $7,500, which applied to 39,947 crashes. A smaller but significant number of crashes, 11,972, resulted in damages estimated between $7,500 and $25,000. Crashes with severe property damage exceeding $25,000 accounted for 1,099 incidents, or 2% of the total.

The most frequent manner of collision was a non-collision event involving a single vehicle, such as running off the road, which occurred in 16,897 cases (30.8% of all crashes). Rear-end collisions were the most common type of multi-vehicle crash, accounting for 13,488 incidents (24.6%). Broadside, or angle, collisions were the third most common type, with 9,105 incidents.

The vast majority of vehicles involved in crashes, 53,209 units, were moving straight ahead prior to the collision. Turning left was the next most common pre-crash action, recorded for 8,770 vehicles. Slowing or stopping was the action for 5,432 vehicles immediately before impact.

The most common action for non-motorists involved in a crash was 'Entering or crossing roadway,' which was recorded in 554 instances. A much smaller number of incidents involved non-motorists moving along the roadway, either with traffic (94 cases) or against it (21 cases). These actions describe the moments immediately preceding the collision.

Of the 115,185 individuals involved in crashes, the overwhelming majority (95.3%) were drivers, totaling 109,774 people. Passengers accounted for 4,513 individuals. The data also includes 460 pedestrians and 383 bicyclists involved in collisions.

Across all persons involved in crashes, 321 individuals sustained fatal injuries. An additional 19,109 people were injured, with severities ranging from serious (1,471), to minor (6,307), to possible (11,331). A total of 1,339 persons involved were documented as having no injuries.

Among occupants where safety equipment use was recorded, 12,710 were using both a shoulder and lap belt. However, 1,525 occupants were recorded as using no safety equipment at all, representing over 10% of this group. DOT-compliant helmets were used by 206 individuals, primarily motorcyclists.

The majority of crashes (59.8%) involved two vehicles, totaling 32,832 incidents. Single-vehicle crashes were the next most common scenario, with 18,922 incidents making up 34.5% of the total. Crashes involving three or more vehicles were less frequent, accounting for 3,085 incidents.