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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 10, 2021 | Dallas County | I-80 | 1 |
| Oct 9, 2021 | Henry County | CR-H38/220TH ST | 1 |
| Oct 8, 2021 | Davenport, Scott County | W LOCUST ST | 1 |
| Oct 7, 2021 | Davenport, Scott County | W LOCUST ST | 1 |
| Oct 6, 2021 | Poweshiek County | SR-146 | 1 |
| Oct 6, 2021 | Cedar Falls, Black Hawk County | SR-58 | 1 |
| Oct 2, 2021 | Iowa County | CR-F46/240TH ST | 1 |
| Oct 2, 2021 | Des Moines, Polk County | SCOTT AVE | 1 |
| Oct 1, 2021 | Hancock County | RAKE AVE | 1 |
| Sep 28, 2021 | Hudson, Black Hawk County | SR-58/S HUDSON RD | 1 |
| Sep 27, 2021 | Des Moines, Polk County | US-69/E 14TH ST | 1 |
| Sep 26, 2021 | West Des Moines, Polk County | PARK AVE | 1 |
| Sep 26, 2021 | Tama County | US-30 | 1 |
| Sep 25, 2021 | Muscatine County | SR-70 | 1 |
| Sep 24, 2021 | Sloan, Woodbury County | REBEL WAY | 1 |
| Sep 24, 2021 | Hardin County | US-20 | 1 |
| Sep 23, 2021 | Newton, Jasper County | CR-S74 S | 1 |
| Sep 23, 2021 | Guttenberg, Clayton County | HERDER ST | 1 |
| Sep 19, 2021 | Vinton, Benton County | CR-E34/61ST ST LN | 1 |
| Sep 19, 2021 | Urbandale, Polk County | MEREDITH DR | 1 |
| Sep 19, 2021 | Clive, Polk County | US-6/HICKMAN RD | 1 |
| Sep 19, 2021 | Bremer County | US-218/SR-27 | 1 |
| Sep 19, 2021 | Cedar County | I-80 | 1 |
| Sep 18, 2021 | Clayton County | PLEASANT AVE | 1 |
| Sep 17, 2021 | Davenport, Scott County | N PINE ST | 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.