576 CRASHES IN
MONTGOMERY, MD
JUNE 2020

Motorists represented the largest group of individuals killed or injured, with 2 fatalities and 190 injuries. Among vulnerable road users, there were no pedestrian or cyclist fatalities reported. However, 19 pedestrians and 16 cyclists sustained injuries in crashes during this period.

Crash analysis reveals that Friday was the most frequent day for incidents, with 101 crashes recorded. The single busiest hour was the 5 p.m. evening commute slot, which saw 59 crashes. Overall, a majority of collisions, 429 out of 576, occurred during daylight hours.

The majority of crashes, 378 incidents or 65.6%, resulted in no injuries. Injury-involved crashes accounted for 33.2% of the total, comprising 16 serious injury, 83 minor injury, and 92 possible injury crashes. There were 3 fatal crashes recorded, which resulted in 3 fatalities.

Analysis of contributing factors indicates that environmental conditions were frequently cited. The most common factor noted was 'RAIN, SNOW, WET,' listed in 33 crashes (5.7%), followed by wet road conditions ('N/A, WET') in 22 crashes (3.8%). Other cited factors included road construction (6 crashes) and animals in the roadway (5 crashes).

The data shows that most crashes occurred in favorable conditions. A total of 432 crashes happened in clear weather, and 412 took place on dry road surfaces. Crashes during daylight hours were most common, with 429 incidents. Adverse conditions were also present in a subset of crashes, with 48 occurring in rain and 64 on wet roads.

Among the 975 vehicles involved in crashes, passenger cars were the most common type, accounting for 698 vehicles. The most frequently involved vehicle makes were Toyota with 131 vehicles, Honda with 114 vehicles, and Ford with 90 vehicles. Data on driver age demographics was not available in this report.

In crashes where fault was assigned, drivers were determined to be the at-fault party in 528 incidents. This represents the vast majority of cases with a determined fault. Non-motorists were found at fault in 13 cases.

Of the crashes that occurred at a defined intersection geometry, four-way intersections were the most common location, accounting for 184 incidents. T-intersections were the second most frequent site, with 91 crashes reported. Other intersection types like roundabouts and Y-intersections saw far fewer crashes.

Analysis of crash locations shows that incidents occurred more frequently at junctions than on open road segments. A total of 204 crashes were reported at intersections, with an additional 58 classified as intersection-related. In contrast, 128 crashes occurred at non-intersection locations.

The most common roadway design at crash locations was a two-way divided road with a positive median barrier, accounting for 230 incidents. The second most frequent road type was a two-way, undivided roadway, where 181 crashes occurred. Roads with a painted median accounted for another 60 crashes.

Disabling damage was the most frequently reported level of vehicle damage, noted for 374 vehicles involved in collisions. Functional damage was reported for 246 vehicles, while 217 vehicles sustained only superficial damage. A total of 55 vehicles were reported as destroyed.

The data provided under driver actions primarily lists environmental factors. The most cited factor was 'RAIN, SNOW, WET,' associated with 50 drivers. The second most common entry was 'N/A, WET,' noted for 43 drivers, followed by 'N/A, ROAD UNDER CONSTRUCTION/MAINTENANCE' for 21 drivers.

Excluding drivers who were not distracted, the most common form of distraction reported was 'looked but did not see,' which was cited for 148 drivers. Other specified distractions included 'other distraction' (32 drivers) and being 'inattentive or lost in thought' (25 drivers). Distractions related to cellular phone use were noted for a total of 7 drivers, including talking, texting, or other phone-related activities.

The most common first harmful event in a crash was a collision with another motor vehicle, which occurred in 359 incidents. The second most frequent event was striking a fixed object, such as a guardrail or utility pole, which happened in 82 crashes. Collisions with parked vehicles were the third most common event, with 66 instances.

The front of the vehicle, designated as 'twelve o'clock,' was the most common point of impact, reported in 387 instances. The rear of the vehicle ('six o'clock') was the second most frequent impact point, with 181 cases. Side impacts were less common, with the one o'clock and eleven o'clock positions being the most frequent among them.

The most common action drivers were taking immediately before a crash was 'moving at a constant speed,' reported for 401 drivers. The next most frequent pre-crash actions were 'slowing or stopping' (122 drivers) and being 'stopped in a traffic lane' (94 drivers). These three actions account for a significant portion of driver activities prior to collision.

Among the 37 pedestrians and cyclists involved in crashes, no improper actions were noted for the majority, with 21 cases falling into this category. For those where an action was cited, being 'inattentive' was the most common, with 4 instances. Other actions included 'dart dash' and being 'in roadway improperly,' each noted in 3 cases.

The most prevalent crash pattern was the 'same direction rear end' collision, which accounted for 139 crashes, or 24.1% of the total. Single-vehicle crashes were the second most common type, with 108 incidents (18.8%). Angle collisions during straight movement were the third most frequent, with 92 crashes (16.0%).

A significant number of crashes occurred at locations with no traffic controls, accounting for 255 incidents. Intersections controlled by a traffic signal were the site of 178 crashes. Crashes at locations with stop signs were less frequent, with 31 incidents reported.

Passenger cars were the predominant vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 698 of the 975 vehicles. Sport utility vehicles were the second most common type with 71 vehicles. Commercial vehicles, including various types of trucks and buses, were involved in 120 instances.

Of the 1,017 people involved in crashes, 3 sustained fatal injuries and 17 sustained serious injuries. A larger number of individuals had minor injuries (96) or possible injuries (115). The majority of people involved, 786 individuals, were not injured.

Two-vehicle collisions were the most common scenario, accounting for 309 of the 576 total crashes. Single-vehicle crashes were the second most frequent type, with 221 incidents, representing 38.4% of the total. While most crashes involved one or two vehicles, the data also includes a few larger incidents, such as one 10-vehicle crash and two 6-vehicle crashes.