Fatal crash profile · State
Traffic deaths in Iowa in 2021
State in United States
- Deaths, 2021
- 356
- Fatal crashes
- 329
- Population
- 3.2M
In 2021, 356 people died in 329 fatal crashes in Iowa. That was 3.8% more than in 2020 (343) and the most since 2016. The death rate was 11.1 per 100,000 residents, compared with 13.0 in the United States. Iowa had the 34th most traffic deaths of the 51 states and DC and the 34th-highest death rate. Pedestrians accounted for 8% of deaths, and 23% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
Road users
Who died
8%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About half the share in the United States: 17%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 247 |
| Pedestrians | 30 |
| Motorcyclists | 68 |
| Cyclists | 11 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in Iowa | Share in the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 30 | 8% | 17% |
| Motorcyclists | 68 | 19% | 14% |
| Cyclists | 11 | 3% | 2% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 120 | 34% | 31% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 84 | 24% | 29% |
Alcohol-impaired and speeding-related count everyone killed in those crashes, so a death can appear in more than one row.
Crash factors
Speeding, alcohol, night and weekend crashes
23%
of fatal crashes were speeding-related
- About 85 percent of the share in the United States: 28%
25%
of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver
- About the same as the share in the United States: 26%
| Category | Iowa | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 25.2% | 26.3% |
| Alcohol-involved | 23.4% | 28.2% |
| At night | 44.7% | 53.9% |
| At weekends | 28.6% | 32.8% |
Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.
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Timing
When crashes happen
45%
of fatal crashes happened at night
- About 85 percent of the share in the United States: 54%
29%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About 85 percent of the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 6 |
| 1am | 7 |
| 2am | 8 |
| 3am | 10 |
| 4am | 8 |
| 5am | 15 |
| 6am | 7 |
| 7am | 15 |
| 8am | 17 |
| 9am | 9 |
| 10am | 15 |
| 11am | 13 |
| 12pm | 14 |
| 1pm | 18 |
| 2pm | 20 |
| 3pm | 17 |
| 4pm | 20 |
| 5pm | 17 |
| 6pm | 17 |
| 7pm | 10 |
| 8pm | 18 |
| 9pm | 19 |
| 10pm | 12 |
| 11pm | 17 |
All crashes 2021.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 48 |
| Mon | 51 |
| Tue | 38 |
| Wed | 50 |
| Thu | 44 |
| Fri | 52 |
| Sat | 46 |
All crashes 2021.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 14 |
| Feb | 12 |
| Mar | 17 |
| Apr | 28 |
| May | 38 |
| Jun | 32 |
| Jul | 31 |
| Aug | 38 |
| Sep | 35 |
| Oct | 33 |
| Nov | 26 |
| Dec | 25 |
All crashes 2021.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 252 |
| Cloudy | 49 |
| Rain | 13 |
| Snow | 3 |
| Severe Crosswinds | 3 |
| Freezing Rain or Drizzle | 3 |
All crashes 2021. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 179 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 92 |
| Dark - Lighted | 34 |
| Dusk | 14 |
| Dawn | 9 |
| Dark - Unknown Lighting | 1 |
All crashes 2021. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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Roads and vehicles
Where and what, 2021
Roads with the most fatal crashes
- I-8013
- I-358
- US-306
- US-615
- US-635
- SR-144
- US-204
- I-293
- SR-23
- US-1513
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Cars | 155 |
| Pickup trucks | 79 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 76 |
| SUVs | 71 |
| Motorcycles | 68 |
| Vans | 28 |
| Other vehicles | 12 |
| Buses | 2 |
All crashes 2021.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Chevrolet Silverado19
- Ford F-15018
- Freightliner Cascadia14
- Chevrolet Malibu10
- Chevrolet Equinox8
- Chevrolet Impala8
- Dodge Grand Caravan8
- Ford Fusion8
- Dodge Ram7
- Ford Explorer7
Reflects how common a vehicle is as well as crash involvement; not a safety rating.
Crashes
Fatal crashes
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Fatal crashes in 2021. Crashes without reported coordinates are not shown.
Filter crashes
| Date | Location | Road | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2, 2021 | Ackley, Franklin County | 30TH ST | 1 |
| Oct 31, 2021 | Johnson County | UTAH AVE | 1 |
| Oct 30, 2021 | Bondurant, Polk County | US-65/NE HUBBLE AVE | 1 |
| Oct 28, 2021 | Fort Dodge, Webster County | US-169/LAINSON AVE | 1 |
| Oct 27, 2021 | Cedar County | I-80 | 1 |
| Oct 27, 2021 | Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County | I-29/I-80 | 1 |
| Oct 25, 2021 | Cass County | CR-N16/620TH ST | 1 |
| Oct 22, 2021 | Warren County | I-35 | 1 |
| Oct 21, 2021 | Urbandale, Polk County | I-35 | 1 |
| Oct 21, 2021 | Wapello County | US-63 | 1 |
| Oct 20, 2021 | Harrison County | 315TH ST | 1 |
| Oct 19, 2021 | Des Moines, Polk County | SR-28/SE 1ST ST/SW 63RD ST | 1 |
| Oct 19, 2021 | Audubon County | CR-F24/150TH ST | 1 |
| Oct 18, 2021 | Sioux City, Woodbury County | 18TH ST | 1 |
| Oct 18, 2021 | Buchanan County | SR-150/JACKSON AVE | 2 |
| Oct 18, 2021 | Mason City, Cerro Gordo County | US-18/SR-122/4TH ST | 1 |
| Oct 17, 2021 | Linn County | RED SCHOOL RD | 1 |
| Oct 17, 2021 | Pottawattamie County | CR-G08L/RAILROAD HWY | 1 |
| Oct 16, 2021 | Marshalltown, Marshall County | US-30 | 1 |
| Oct 15, 2021 | Hamilton County | 190TH ST | 1 |
| Oct 14, 2021 | Allamakee County | SR-51 | 1 |
| Oct 14, 2021 | Allison, Butler County | SR-14 | 1 |
| Oct 12, 2021 | Sac County | SR-175/370TH ST | 1 |
| Oct 11, 2021 | Worth County | I-35 | 1 |
| Oct 10, 2021 | Dallas County | I-80 | 1 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Counties in Iowa in 2021
Rankings
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Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2021. A fatal crash is one in which at least one person died within 30 days. Population: US Census Bureau estimates.