Wyoming's 2009 Report on Traffic Crashes

NHTSA · 2010 · ROSA P / Wyoming. Department of Transportation

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Summary

This document is a statistical report compiled by the Wyoming Department of Transportation, detailing traffic crash data for the year 2009. It serves as a comprehensive analysis of crash frequency, severity, and contributing factors across the state, providing a baseline for safety assessments and policy evaluation. The report aggregates data from police crash reports to examine trends in fatalities, injuries, and property damage only (PDO) crashes, while also assessing economic losses and specific risk factors such as alcohol impairment, driver demographics, and environmental conditions. The methodology involves the categorization of 15,278 total crashes recorded in 2009 into fatal (116), injury (3,361), and PDO (11,801) events. The data is disaggregated by county, roadway type, time of day, and collision manner. The report utilizes specific metrics to calculate economic loss, adopting modified Relative Disutility Factors from a U.S. Department of Transportation memorandum to assign monetary values to injuries and fatalities. Additionally, the analysis tracks safety equipment usage, driver conditions (including suspected alcohol and drug use), and vehicle types, comparing 2009 figures against historical data from 2005–2008 where applicable. Key findings indicate that urban areas accounted for 9,149 crashes compared to 6,129 in rural areas, though rural crashes constituted the majority of fatalities (96 out of 116). The total economic loss for 2009 was calculated at approximately $3.6 billion. Alcohol involvement was a significant factor, with 48 fatal crashes and 488 injury crashes linked to alcohol use. Safety equipment data reveals that while 79.77% of drivers used seat belts, 6.86% had unavailable equipment, and 13.31% had unknown status. In fatal crashes, 61 drivers used no safety equipment, whereas 19 used shoulder and lap belts. The report also highlights specific high-risk categories, including 473 motorcycle crashes resulting in 13 fatalities and 217 injuries, and 2,211 animal-related crashes, predominantly involving deer. The significance of this report lies in its detailed breakdown of crash dynamics, which informs targeted safety interventions. By identifying that rear-end collisions were the most common manner of collision (2,521 incidents) and that suspected alcohol use was prevalent among drivers aged 17–20 in fatal crashes, the data supports focused enforcement and education strategies. The economic valuation underscores the substantial financial burden of traffic crashes on the state, while the granular county-level data allows local jurisdictions to address specific regional hazards, such as high animal-vehicle collision rates in certain counties.

Key finding

The report documents 15,278 total crashes in Wyoming in 2009, resulting in 116 fatalities, 3,361 injury crashes, and an estimated economic loss of $3.6 billion.

Methodology

dataset

Sample size: 15278

Provenance

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Topics

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• incidence prevalence
• crash typology
• vru crash typology
• demographic disparities
• motorcycle crash typology
• pre crash contributing factors

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes