46 CRASHES IN
IOWA, IA
2015

In 2015, all reported crash casualties in Wayne County were motor vehicle occupants. There was 1 motorist killed and a total of 24 motorists injured. No pedestrians or cyclists were reported as killed or injured in crashes during this period.

Crashes in Wayne County occurred most frequently on Fridays, with 11 incidents recorded. The peak time for crashes was the 6 p.m. hour, which saw 6 separate incidents. The data also shows a significant number of crashes occurring during early morning hours, with 5 crashes in the 6 a.m. hour.

The majority of crashes, 30 out of 46 (65.2%), resulted in no injuries. The remaining incidents included 15 crashes with possible, minor, or serious injuries, and one fatal crash which accounted for 2.2% of the total. This single fatal crash resulted in one fatality.

The primary contributing factor to crashes was interaction with an animal, cited in 16 incidents, or 34.8% of the total. Other notable factors included losing control and running off a straight road, each contributing to 3 crashes (6.5% each). Various forms of failing to yield the right-of-way were cited in 6 separate crashes.

The majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions, with 24 incidents (52.2%) happening in daylight and 26 (56.5%) on dry road surfaces. Clear weather was reported in 22 crashes, while 10 occurred under cloudy skies and 3 during rain. Adverse road conditions were noted in a minority of cases, including 5 crashes on wet surfaces, 3 on gravel, and 2 in snow.

Analysis of persons involved in crashes shows the 55-64 age group was most represented with 18 individuals, followed closely by the 16-20 age group with 16 individuals. Among the 63 vehicles involved, Chevrolet (16 vehicles, combining 'CHEV' and 'CHEVROLET' entries) and Ford (15 vehicles) were the most frequent makes. Pontiac was the next most common make with 4 vehicles involved in crashes.

The predominant major cause of crashes was interaction with an animal, which was cited in 16 incidents, representing 34.8% of all crashes. Losing control and running off a straight road were the next most common causes, each attributed to 3 crashes (6.5% each). Other contributing causes included failure to yield while making a left turn, making an improper turn, and crossing the centerline, each noted in 2 crashes.

The most common first harmful event was a collision with an animal, recorded in 16 of the 46 crashes (34.8%). Collision with another vehicle in traffic was the second most frequent event, occurring in 13 crashes (28.3%). Run-off-road events were also significant, with 6 crashes involving a ditch and 3 involving an overturn or rollover.

A majority of crashes, 23 out of 46 (50%), occurred at non-junction locations along a road segment. Intersections accounted for 11 crashes, with 6 at four-way intersections and 4 at T-intersections. An additional crash was related to driveway access and one occurred at a railroad grade crossing.

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 32 of the 63 vehicles (50.8%). Light trucks and sport utility vehicles were also frequently involved, with 11 pickups and 9 SUVs recorded. Commercial trucks, including tractor-trailers and bobtails, were involved in 3 incidents, and one motorcycle was involved in a crash.

The vast majority of crashes occurred where no traffic controls were present, with this condition noted in 47 instances across all vehicles. Stop signs were the traffic control device in 4 instances. Additionally, railway crossing devices were noted in 2 instances.

The front of the vehicle was the most common area of most significant damage, recorded in 19 instances. Damage to the top of the vehicle, often associated with rollovers, was noted 6 times. Front-corner impacts were also common, with 5 instances of damage to the driver-side front corner and 3 to the passenger-side front corner.

Within Wayne County, the city of Corydon had the highest volume of crashes, with 7 incidents reported in 2015. Allerton and Humeston each recorded 2 crashes. Promise City reported a single crash.

Crashes were predominantly on paved roads, which accounted for 38 of the 46 total incidents. A notable portion, 8 crashes or 17.4%, occurred on unpaved surfaces such as gravel or dirt roads.

The most common estimated property damage cost was in the $1,500 to $7,500 range, which applied to 34 of the 46 crashes. A further 11 crashes resulted in estimated damages between $7,500 and $25,000. One crash was estimated to have caused property damage in excess of $25,000.

The dominant crash type was a non-collision single-vehicle event, such as running off the road or an overturn, accounting for 25 of the 46 crashes (54.3%). Among multi-vehicle crashes, the most frequent type was a broadside collision, which occurred in 6 incidents (13%). Other collision types included sideswipes in the same direction (3 crashes) and rear-end collisions (2 crashes).

Prior to the crashes, the most common driver action was moving essentially straight, which was the case for 38 of the 63 vehicles involved. Turning maneuvers were the next most frequent pre-crash actions, with 4 vehicles turning left and 4 turning right. Three vehicles were legally parked before being involved in a collision.

Of the 89 individuals involved in crashes, the vast majority, 80 people (89.9%), were drivers. The remaining 9 individuals (10.1%) were passengers in the vehicles. No other person types, such as pedestrians or cyclists, were recorded in the crash data for this period.

Across all crashes, one person was fatally injured, and 24 others sustained some level of injury. Of the injured persons, 2 sustained serious injuries, 12 had minor injuries, and 10 had possible injuries. This accounts for all 25 casualties reported in the 46 crashes.

Among the recorded instances of safety equipment usage, 16 individuals used a shoulder and lap belt. Two individuals were recorded as not using any safety equipment.

A significant majority of incidents were single-vehicle crashes, accounting for 29 of the 46 total crashes (63%). The remaining 17 crashes (37%) involved two vehicles. No crashes involving three or more vehicles were reported during this period.