Car accidents are an everyday occurrence, even on the roadways here in Indiana. In fact, according to the official report Indiana Traffic Facts 2017, 219,112 car accidents occurred in Indiana that year; 834 of these accidents were fatal.
Here, attorneys Matthew Golitko and John P. Daly discuss the driver actions that contributed to the most car accidents in Indiana in 2017. If you or a loved one has been involved in an auto accident, contact Golitko & Daly in Indianapolis, IN to schedule a time to have one of our attorneys review your case.
The Official Report
The Indiana University Public Policy Institute works with the
Indiana Criminal Justice Institute to analyze data maintained by the Indiana State Police, including Indiana Officer’s Standard Crash Report information, which is completed by all local and
state law enforcement officers for all reported collisions.
Most Common Driver Errors for All Reported Crashes
These driver errors were the top contributing driver actions for car accidents:
- Following too closely: 39,569 accidents
- Failure to yield right of way: 35,752 accidents
- Unsafe backing: 20,029 accidents
- Ran off road: 18,411 accidents
- Unsafe lane movement: 10,213 accidents
Drivers Errors with Highest Fatality Rates
The fatality rate refers to the number of fatal crashes for every 1,000 collisions. The driver actions that contributed to the highest fatality rates include:
- Influenced by pedestrian action: 100.5
- Wrong way on one way: 35.9
- Left of center: 25.3
- Driver illness: 20.3
- Unsafe speed: 14.8
Driver Errors That Resulted in the Most Fatalities
Here, we take a look at the driver actions that contributed to the most fatal crashes:
- Ran off road: 211
- Failure to yield right of way: 118
- Left of center: 92
- Influenced by pedestrian action: 75
- Unsafe speed: 72
Common Causes of Deadly Collisions
Left of center accidents contributed to a high fatality rate and high number of fatal crashes in Indiana in 2017. Drivers should not go left of center unless the other side of the road is visible and there is no traffic. Driving left of center is especially dangerous because it increases the risk of a head-on collision at a high rate of speed.
Drivers that are influenced by pedestrian action or speeding are also at higher risk, according to the fatality rate and number of fatal crashes reported.
The Complete Statistics
| Driver Action | Total | Fatal | Non-fatal | Property Damage | Fatality Rate |
| Following too closely | 39,569 | 24 | 6,011 | 33,534 | 0.6 |
| Failure to yield right of way | 35,752 | 118 | 8,277 | 27,357 | 3.3 |
| Unsafe backing | 20,029 | 1 | 317 | 19,711 | 0 |
| Ran off road | 18,411 | 211 | 4,456 | 13,744 | 11.5 |
| Unsafe lane movement | 10,213 | 15 | 908 | 9,290 | 1.5 |
| Disregard signal/Reg sign | 7,716 | 60 | 2,723 | 4,933 | 7.8 |
| Improper turning | 7,420 | 2 | 498 | 6,920 | 0.3 |
| Speed too fast for weather conditions | 7,173 | 13 | 1,156 | 6,004 | 1.8 |
| Unspecified distraction | 6,035 | 11 | 1,040 | 4,984 | 1.8 |
| Improper lane usage | 5,134 | 11 | 423 | 4,700 | 2.1 |
| Unsafe speed | 4,878 | 72 | 1,398 | 3,408 | 14.8 |
| Left of center | 3,632 | 92 | 1,029 | 2,511 | 25.3 |
| Overcorrecting/oversteering | 2,952 | 17 | 604 | 2,331 | 5.8 |
| Improper passing | 2,014 | 8 | 210 | 1,796 | 4 |
| Driver asleep or fatigued | 1,572 | 4 | 381 | 1,187 | 2.5 |
| Driver illness | 837 | 17 | 396 | 424 | 20.3 |
| Influenced by pedestrian action | 746 | 75 | 524 | 147 | 100.5 |
| Distraction: cell phone/other electronic device | 495 | 0 | 106 | 389 | 0 |
| Wrong way on one way | 223 | 8 | 59 | 156 | 35.9 |
Contact Our Practice
If you or a loved one has been in a car accident, it is in your best interest to have a personal injury review your case. Contact Golitko & Daly online today or call us at (317) 566-9600 to schedule a time for a case evaluation.