727 CRASHES IN
MONTGOMERY, MD
OCTOBER 2020

Motorists comprised the largest group of individuals killed or injured, with 3 fatalities and 232 injuries. Vulnerable road users also sustained significant harm; one pedestrian was killed and 30 were injured in 35 separate incidents. Additionally, one cyclist was killed and 13 were injured in 14 crashes involving bicycles.

Crash frequencies were highest towards the end of the week, peaking on Saturday with 133 incidents, followed by Thursday (117) and Friday (116). The most hazardous time of day was the afternoon commute, with the hours of 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. each recording a peak of 58 crashes. Collisions occurred most frequently during daylight hours, with a secondary, smaller peak in the late evening.

The majority of crashes, 65.3% (475 incidents), resulted in no injuries. Injury-involved crashes accounted for 34.4% of the total, including 147 crashes with possible injuries, 87 with minor injuries, and 11 with serious injuries. There were 5 fatal crashes recorded, which resulted in 5 fatalities.

The most commonly cited contributing factors were related to environmental conditions rather than specific driver errors. Wet conditions, often combined with rain or snow, were listed in the top two factors, contributing to a combined 106 incidents (14.6%). Specifically, 'RAIN, SNOW, WET' was a factor in 66 crashes, and 'N/A, WET' was a factor in 40 crashes.

A majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions, with 58.9% (428 incidents) happening in daylight, 66.2% (481 incidents) in clear weather, and 66.3% (482 incidents) on dry road surfaces. However, adverse conditions were still a factor, with 141 crashes (19.4%) on wet roads and 119 crashes (16.4%) occurring during rain.

Of the 1,233 vehicles involved in crashes, passenger cars were the most common type, accounting for 853 vehicles. The most frequently recorded vehicle makes were Toyota with 183 vehicles, followed by Ford and Honda, each with 129 vehicles involved in collisions. The dataset did not contain sufficient information to analyze the age distribution of drivers.

In crashes where fault was assigned, drivers were determined to be at fault in 681 instances, representing 97.4% of the 699 crashes with a fault determination. Non-motorists were found at fault in 14 cases (2.0%), and both parties were assigned fault in 4 cases (0.6%).

Among crashes occurring at intersections with a defined geometry, four-way intersections were the most common location, accounting for 215 incidents. T-intersections were the site of the second-highest number of crashes with 110 incidents.

Crashes were more likely to occur at or near a junction than on an open stretch of road. A total of 251 crashes (46.5% of those with a reported junction type) occurred within an intersection, while another 75 were classified as intersection-related. Non-intersection roadway segments accounted for 178 crashes (33.0%).

The most common road design at crash locations was a two-way divided roadway with a positive median barrier, which was the site of 313 crashes. The second most frequent road type was a two-way, undivided roadway, where 222 crashes occurred.

The most frequently reported level of vehicle damage was 'Disabling,' which was noted for 471 vehicles. 'Functional' damage was reported for 295 vehicles, and 'Superficial' damage was reported for 290 vehicles. A total of 69 vehicles were reported as 'Destroyed'.

The top contributing factors attributed to drivers were environmental, with 'RAIN, SNOW, WET' cited for 111 drivers and 'N/A, WET' for 67 drivers. Vision obstruction, including being blinded by the sun, was listed as a factor for 19 drivers.

Among drivers for whom a distraction was recorded, the most common was 'Looked but did not see,' reported for 167 drivers. Other notable distractions included being 'Inattentive or lost in thought' (39 drivers) and 'Other distraction' (36 drivers).

The first harmful event in the majority of crashes was a collision with another motor vehicle, which occurred in 478 incidents (65.7%). The second most common event was striking a fixed object, such as a guardrail or pole, which happened in 91 crashes (12.5%). Collisions with parked vehicles were the third most frequent event, with 50 incidents.

The front of the vehicle ('Twelve Oclock') was the most common point of impact, involved in 509 instances, representing 41.3% of all vehicle impacts recorded. The second most frequent impact point was the rear of the vehicle ('Six Oclock'), which was struck in 227 cases (18.4%).

The most common action for vehicles immediately prior to a crash was 'Moving Constant Speed,' reported for 549 vehicles (44.5% of total). Other frequent pre-crash actions included 'Slowing or Stopping' (141 vehicles) and 'Making Left Turn' (122 vehicles).

Among pedestrians and cyclists whose actions were recorded, 32 were determined to have taken 'No Improper Actions'. For those with noted improper actions, 'Failure to Yield Right of Way' was the most common, cited in 8 cases, followed by 'Dart Dash' and 'In Roadway Improperly', each cited in 5 cases.

The most prevalent type of crash was a 'Same Dir Rear End' collision, accounting for 172 incidents, or 23.7% of all crashes. Single-vehicle crashes were the second most common manner of collision with 142 incidents (19.5%), followed by 'Straight Movement Angle' crashes with 129 incidents (17.7%).

A significant portion of crashes occurred where no traffic controls were present, accounting for 300 incidents (41.3%). Locations with a traffic signal were the next most common site for crashes, with 235 incidents (32.3%) occurring at signalized intersections.

Passenger cars were the predominant vehicle type involved in collisions, accounting for 853 of the 1,233 vehicles (69.2%). Sport utility vehicles were the second most common type with 117 vehicles, followed by pickup trucks with 70 vehicles.

Of the 1,289 people involved in crashes, the vast majority (1,004 individuals) sustained no apparent injury. Among those who were injured, 171 sustained possible injuries, 96 had minor injuries, and 13 had serious injuries. A total of 5 individuals sustained fatal injuries.

Two-vehicle collisions were the most common type, accounting for 406 crashes, or 55.8% of the total. Single-vehicle crashes were also frequent, with 269 incidents representing 37.0% of all crashes. Multi-vehicle incidents involving three or more vehicles were less common, with 45 three-vehicle crashes recorded.