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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 15, 2021 | Oxford, Johnson County | I-80 | 1 |
| Sep 15, 2021 | Mason City, Cerro Gordo County | SR-122/4TH ST SE | 1 |
| Sep 15, 2021 | Chickasaw County | US-63 RAMP | 1 |
| Sep 12, 2021 | Des Moines, Polk County | COUNTY LINE RD/SW 80TH ST/NW 9 | 1 |
| Sep 11, 2021 | Marion County | CR-G40 | 1 |
| Sep 10, 2021 | Pella, Marion County | SE 9TH ST | 1 |
| Sep 10, 2021 | Pottawattamie County | CR-L20/OLD LINCOLN HWY | 1 |
| Sep 8, 2021 | Boone County | US-30 | 1 |
| Sep 8, 2021 | Linn County | US-151/AMANA RD N | 2 |
| Sep 8, 2021 | Des Moines, Polk County | GUTHRIE AVE | 1 |
| Sep 7, 2021 | Story County | I-35 | 2 |
| Sep 5, 2021 | Benton County | US-218 | 1 |
| Sep 5, 2021 | Jones County | RIVER RD | 1 |
| Sep 5, 2021 | Allamakee County | CR-X26/VOLNEY RD | 1 |
| Sep 5, 2021 | Pottawattamie County | 185TH ST | 1 |
| Sep 4, 2021 | Floyd County | CR-T66/UNDERWOOD AVE | 2 |
| Sep 4, 2021 | Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County | PIONEER TRL | 1 |
| Sep 3, 2021 | Sioux Center, Sioux County | CR-K52/DIVISION ST/HICKORY AVE | 1 |
| Sep 3, 2021 | Johnson County | HALF MOON AVE NW | 1 |
| Aug 28, 2021 | Sioux City, Woodbury County | I-29 | 1 |
| Aug 28, 2021 | West Liberty, Muscatine County | SR-70/COLUMBUS ST | 1 |
| Aug 27, 2021 | Des Moines, Polk County | E HARTFORD AVE | 1 |
| Aug 26, 2021 | Polk County | US-65 | 1 |
| Aug 23, 2021 | Estherville, Emmet County | CR-N52/490TH AVE | 1 |
| Aug 22, 2021 | Des Moines, Polk County | US-69/SE 14TH 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.