706 CRASHES IN
MONTGOMERY, MD
AUGUST 2020

Motorists comprised the largest group of individuals killed or injured, with 4 fatalities and 209 injuries. Vulnerable road users were also significantly impacted; one pedestrian was killed and 17 were injured. Additionally, 13 cyclists sustained injuries, although no cyclist fatalities were reported in this period.

Crash occurrences peaked on Saturdays, which saw 125 incidents, and Mondays with 124 incidents. The most frequent time for crashes was the 6 p.m. hour, with 55 events recorded. Analysis of lighting conditions shows that a majority of crashes, 482 out of 706, occurred during daylight hours.

Of the 706 total crashes, 496 (70.3%) resulted in no injuries and were classified as property-damage-only events. The remaining incidents involved some level of harm, including 202 crashes with possible, minor, or serious injuries. There were 5 fatal crashes recorded during this period, which resulted in a total of 5 fatalities.

The most frequently cited contributing factors were related to environmental conditions. The factor 'RAIN, SNOW, WET' was listed in 69 crashes (9.8% of total). Similarly, 'N/A, WET' was noted in 34 crashes, indicating that wet road conditions were a significant circumstance in many incidents.

The majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions, with 68.3% (482 crashes) happening in daylight, 64.3% (454 crashes) in clear weather, and 65.3% (461 crashes) on dry road surfaces. However, adverse conditions were also present in a notable number of incidents, with 122 crashes occurring during rain and 138 on wet road surfaces.

Passenger cars were the most prevalent vehicle type involved in collisions, accounting for 861 of the 1199 vehicles in the data. The most common vehicle makes recorded in crashes were Toyota (198 vehicles), Honda (173 vehicles), and Ford (126 vehicles). These figures represent the makes most frequently involved in reported crashes.

In crashes where fault was assigned, drivers were determined to be the at-fault party in the vast majority of cases. A driver was cited as at-fault in 655 incidents. By contrast, a non-motorist was found at fault in 10 crashes, and both parties were deemed at fault in 3 crashes.

Four-way intersections were the most common location for crashes among specified intersection types, accounting for 224 incidents. T-intersections were the second most frequent site, with 99 crashes occurring at these junctions. Together, these two geometries represent the locations for 323 of the 348 crashes that occurred at a specified intersection type.

Crashes were more likely to occur at or near a junction than on a non-junction roadway segment. The data shows 237 crashes occurred within an intersection and an additional 78 were classified as intersection-related. In contrast, 166 crashes were reported on non-intersection roadway segments.

The most common road design at crash locations was a two-way divided roadway with a positive median barrier, which was the site of 298 crashes. The second most frequent road type was a two-way, non-divided road, accounting for 207 crashes. These two road types made up the locations for 505 of the 600 crashes where road division was specified.

Disabling damage was the most frequently reported level of vehicle damage, noted for 460 of the 1199 vehicles involved in crashes. This was followed by superficial damage, reported for 300 vehicles, and functional damage for 276 vehicles. A smaller number of vehicles, 75, were reported as destroyed.

The data categorizing driver actions leading to a crash primarily points to environmental factors. The most cited factor was 'RAIN, SNOW, WET,' recorded for 118 drivers. The second most common notation was 'N/A, WET,' listed for 59 drivers, further highlighting the role of wet conditions in these incidents.

Among drivers for whom a distraction was noted, 'Looked but did not see' was the most common circumstance, reported for 168 drivers. The next most frequent distraction was 'Inattentive or lost in thought,' which was cited for 36 drivers. 'Other distraction' was listed for 28 drivers involved in collisions.

The initial impact in the majority of crashes was with another moving vehicle, which was the first harmful event in 450 of the 706 total incidents (63.7%). The second most common event was a collision with a fixed object, which occurred in 119 crashes. Collisions with parked vehicles were the third most frequent initial event, accounting for 65 crashes.

The front of the vehicle was the most common point of impact, with 508 vehicles (42.4%) being struck at the 'twelve o'clock' position. The rear of the vehicle ('six o'clock') was the second most frequent impact point, recorded for 189 vehicles. These front and rear impacts collectively account for the majority of collision points.

The most common action immediately prior to a crash was 'Moving Constant Speed,' reported for 532 vehicles. 'Slowing or Stopping' was the pre-crash action for 117 vehicles, and 'Making Left Turn' was reported for 115 vehicles. These three actions describe the circumstances for over half of the vehicles for which this information was recorded.

Among the 33 non-motorists whose actions were documented, 19 were determined to have taken 'No Improper Actions' leading up to the collision. For those where an improper action was noted, 'In Roadway Improperly' was the most frequent, cited in 4 cases. Other noted actions included 'Dart Dash' and 'Failure to Obey Traffic Signs,' each recorded twice.

Single-vehicle crashes and same-direction rear-end collisions were the two most common crash types, with 149 and 148 incidents respectively. Together, these two manners of collision account for 42% of all crashes in the period. The third most common type was a straight movement angle crash, which occurred 128 times.

A significant portion of crashes occurred at locations with no traffic controls, accounting for 313 of the 706 total incidents (44.3%). Intersections with a traffic signal were the next most common location, with 211 crashes. Locations with a stop sign accounted for 40 crashes.

Passenger cars were involved in crashes far more than any other vehicle type, accounting for 861 of the 1199 vehicles documented (71.8%). Sport utility vehicles were the second most common type with 116 involved, followed by pickup trucks with 54. Commercial vehicles like transit buses and medium/heavy trucks were involved in a smaller number of incidents.

Of the 1240 people involved in crashes, the vast majority, 995 individuals, sustained no injuries. Five individuals suffered fatal injuries, and another 14 sustained suspected serious injuries. An additional 95 people had minor injuries and 131 had possible injuries.

Two-vehicle collisions were the most frequent crash configuration, accounting for 393 of the 706 incidents (55.7%). Single-vehicle crashes were the second most common type, with 262 incidents (37.1%). Multi-vehicle crashes involving three or more vehicles were less common, with 38 crashes involving three vehicles and 8 crashes involving four.