annual vehicle crash analysis: 2019

City of Wildwood

BUREAU OF RESEARCH & ANALYSIS | ST. LOUIS COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT

ANNUAL VEHICLE CRASH ANALYSIS: 2019

1 City of Wildwood

CONTENTS Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 1

2019 Overview .................................................................................................................................... 2

Multi Year Comparison ....................................................................................................................... 7

Crashes with Injury ........................................................................................................................... 10

Fatal Crashes ..................................................................................................................................... 13

Contributing Factor Analysis ............................................................................................................. 17

Five Major Roadway Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 22

Clayton Road ..................................................................................................................................... 23

Highway 100 ..................................................................................................................................... 25

Highway 109 ..................................................................................................................................... 25

Manchester Road .............................................................................................................................. 30

Old State Road .................................................................................................................................. 32

Other Roads of Interest ................................................................................................................................. 34

Roundabout Analysis ...................................................................................................................................... 36

Deer Strike Analysis ........................................................................................................................................ 38

Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................................... 42

Recommendations ......................................................................................................................................... 43

Glossary of Terms ........................................................................................................................................... 45

2 City of Wildwood

INTRODUCTION

The St. Louis County Police Department produces an annual report identifying the locations and trends of automobile crashes occurring within the City of Wildwood. By identifying the locations and trends of crashes, the purpose of this report is to help the St. Louis County Police Department, City of Wildwood, the St. Louis County Department of Transportation, and Missouri Department of Transportation. Beyond determining where the St. Louis County Police Department should conduct directed traffic enforcement, this report further aims to help aid the City of Wildwood, the St. Louis County Department of Transportation, and the Missouri Department of Transportation in making changes to infrastructure. For instance, alternatives to enforcement that should be considered when discussing crash reduction efforts include: refining road signage, making roadway improvements, adjusting speed limits, and promoting safer driving behaviors. The overall goal of this process is to reduce the total number of crashes, and to reduce the number of injuries and deaths which occur because of crashes.

The information in this report was gathered from reports prepared for vehicle crashes which occurred within the City of Wildwood from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019. It is important to understand while most crashes are reported, some crashes go unreported and are not included in this report. Crash data is gathered manually and entered into an independent database at the Wildwood Precinct. A significant effort was made to correct data errors and to ensure validity. Some changes in the methodology of report preparation occurred to present the most valid data possible. Consequently, some inconsistencies may be noticeable if a comparison is made with any previously published annual crash reports. This analysis includes the following: an overview of the crashes in 2019 including an analysis of crashes resulting in injuries or fatalities, probable contributing circumstances, a comparison of the number of crashes occurring annually between 2015 and 2019, an analysis of the crashes occurring on the City’s 5 major roadways, roundabouts, and deer strike locations.

2019 OVERVIEW

Overall, in 2019, the City of Wildwood saw a 7.9% decrease in the number of crashes compared to 2018, decreasing from 533 to 491 crashes. Figure 1 on page 4 shows the concentration of crashes by street segment. This map shows the streets with the highest concentration of crashes in red and lower concentrations in blue. Table 1 and Table 2 list the locations of crashes which occurred in the City of Wildwood in 2019. As with previous years, Highway 109 and Highway 100 are the roadways with the highest number of crashes, which led to the five major roads being the roadway classification with the most crashes. Beyond location, several other factors can influence the number of crashes such as time of day, day of the week, road type and weather conditions. To analyze crashes related to the time of day, crashes were grouped into four broad time-of-day ranges which correlate to heavy traffic periods. While the time periods are not uniformly divided into equal time periods, they divide a 24-hour period into identifiable time periods for purposes of comparison. The first group consists of crashes which occurred between 6am and 9am, which is the morning rush hour. The next group consists of crashes which occurred during the day between 9am and 3pm, followed

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by the evening rush hour consisting of crashes occurring between 3pm and 7pm. The last group is the overnight hours of 7pm to 6am.

The evening rush hour had a larger percentage of the crashes in 2019 than the other time frames. This is a change from 2018, when the daytime hours experienced the highest proportion of the crashes. Due to the differing numbers of hours in each of the defined time frames, it is important to examine the average number of crashes per hour during the periods. In 2019, during the evening rush hours had an average of 42.3 crashes per hour for the entire year. This is an increase from 2018, where for the year, there was an average of 33.8 crashes per hour during the evening rush hours. Table 3 (see page 7) shows a comparison of crashes by day of the week and hour of the day. This table shows days and times with higher numbers of crashes in red, moderate number of crashes in light yellow, and low numbers of crashes in blue. This further indicates that the evening rush hours had the highest numbers of crashes throughout the year. The specific hour with the highest number of crashes was 4pm, Between 2016-2018, the time with the highest number of crashes was 3pm, which was the second highest hour in 2019. Specifically, data from 2019 revealed the highest volume of crashes occurred Tuesday and Friday between 4pm and 5pm. Finally, there were more crashes on Thursdays in 2019 compared to other days of the week, however the crashes were more spread out on Thursdays throughout the hours. In addition to temporal factors, environmental factors, such as weather, may contribute to the number of crashes occurring in the City of Wildwood. The condition of pavement due to weather conditions at the time a crash occurs is noted in crash reports. In 2019, 74.8% of crashes occurred on dry pavement vs 20.1% of crashes on wet pavement, 3.1% on icy pavement, 1.4% on snowy pavement. Overall, 25.2% of crashes occurred on roads that were not classified as dry or unknown. This is relatively consistent with 2018, when 75.2% of crashes occurred on dry pavement. However, this is a decrease from 2017 when 84.4% of crashes occurred on dry pavement.

Along with road condition, the roadway type can influence the number of crashes. Figure 2 (see page 7) shows the number of crashes per type of roadway in 2019. To make this comparison, roadways are classified into three categories: 5 major roadways (Clayton Road, Highway 100, Highway 109, Manchester Road and Old State Road – these are roadways which transect a significant portion of the city and have high traffic volume), city streets, and private property. The 5 major roads are typically the roads with the most crashes, which is no different than previous years.

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FIGURE 1

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TABLE 1

Number of Crashes by Location in 2019

100 Plaza 1 Clayton Rd 21 Plaza Dr 2

11629 Carriage View Ct 1 Clifton Rd 1 Pond Rd 7

1220 Babler Park Dr 1 Copper Lakes Blvd 1 Powderhorn Pass Ct 1

125 Plaza 1 Copper Lantern 1 Quail Valley Dr 1

16339 Lakefield Place 1 Englebrook Dr 1 Radcliffe Place Dr 1

16363 Lakefield Place 1 Evergreen Forest Ct 1 Red Dragon Pl 1

16509 Manchester Rd 1 Forest Leaf Parkway 2 Ridge Rd 2

16511 Clayton Rd 1 Fox Creek 7 Rieger Rd 1

1655 Wildhorse Pkwy 1 Fullerton Meadows 1 Rp 6320 Hwy 100 1

16555 Manchester Rd 2 Glencoe 1 Rp 6321 Hwy 100 1

16580 Manchester Rd 2 Great Meadow Rd 2 Sandalwood Creek 1

17050 Clayton Rd 7 Green Pines 1 Shadowridge Dr 1

17770 Mueller 1 Harbour Pointe Dr 2 Shepard Rd 2

2005 Shepard Rd 1 Hardt Rd 2 St Albans Rd 6

2400 Hwy 109 1 Hencken 1 St Paul Rd 8

2400 Taylor Rd 3 Hickory Crest 1 Still Creek Pass 1

2401 Hwy 109 1 Hickory Forest Ln 1 Strecker Rd 12

2460 Taylor Rd 3 Highland Summit Dr 2 Summit View Place Dr 1

2641 Hwy 109 3 Homestead Manor Dr 1 Sun Meadow 1

3300 Hwy 109 1 Hwy 100 57 Sweet Cherry Way 1

480 Old Fairway Dr 1 Hwy 109 148 Taylor Rd 7

552 Vintage Grove Ct 1 Hwy BA 4 Thunder Valley Dr 1

Allenton Rd 1 Hwy T 2 Thunderhead Canyon 1

Alt Rd 4 Jubilee Hill Dr 1 Timber Ridge Estates Ct 1

Arbor Chase 1 Kehrs Mill 2 Valley Rd 4

Audubon Village 1 Kingstowne Place Dr 1 Victoria Crossing 1

Babler Park Dr 1 Lancer Ln 1 Wardenburg Farms Dr 1

Babler View Dr 1 Main St 6 Waterfront Way 1

Black Wolf Run Dr 1 Manchester Rd 29 Waterside Dr 3

Booness Ln 1 New College Ave 3 Westglen Farms 7

Bouquet Rd 1 Oak Park Village Dr 1 Westhampton Woods 1

Carriage View Ct 1 Old Eatherton Rd 2 Whiskey Creek Rd 1

Centaur Rd 5 Old Fairway 2 Wild Horse Creek 8

Centerfield Ct 1 Old State Rd 19 Wild Horse Parkway 1

Cherry Hills Meadows 1 Orrville Rd 3 Woods Rd 1

Chimney Top Farms 1 Ossenfort Rd 7 Woodstone Trail Dr 1

Christmas Valley Rd 1 Peppermill Dr 1 Wynncrest Falls Dr 1

Wynncrest Ridge Dr 1

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TABLE 2

Location by Number of Crashes in 2019 (Highest to Lowest)

Hwy 109 148 Plaza Dr 2 Powderhorn Pass Ct 1

Hwy 100 57 Hwy T 2 1220 Babler Park Dr 1

Manchester Rd 29 Highland Summit Dr 2 Radcliffe Place Dr 1

Clayton Rd 21 Clifton Rd 1 16511 Clayton Rd 1

Old State Rd 19 16339 Lakefield Place 1 Bouquet Rd 1

Strecker Rd 12 Red Dragon Pl 1 1655 Wildhorse Pkwy 1

Wild Horse Creek 8 Englebrook Dr 1 Rp 6320 Hwy 100 1

St Paul Rd 8 Thunder Valley Dr 1 Jubilee Hill Dr 1

Fox Creek 7 Evergreen Forest Ct 1 Sandalwood Creek 1

Pond Rd 7 Booness Ln 1 3300 Hwy 109 1

17050 Clayton Rd 7 17770 Mueller 1 Carriage View Ct 1

Taylor Rd 7 Rp 6321 Hwy 100 1 Kingstowne Place Dr 1

Westglen Farms 7 2005 Shepard Rd 1 Centerfield Ct 1

Ossenfort Rd 7 Summit View Place Dr 1 Lancer Ln 1

St Albans Rd 6 Fullerton Meadows 1 Cherry Hills Meadows 1

Main St 6 Victoria Crossing 1 480 Old Fairway Dr 1

Centaur Rd 5 Glencoe 1 Sun Meadow 1

Valley Rd 4 Wild Horse Parkway 1 552 Vintage Grove Ct 1

Hwy BA 4 2400 Hwy 109 1 Chimney Top Farms 1

Alt Rd 4 Quail Valley Dr 1 Allenton Rd 1

2641 Hwy 109 3 Green Pines 1 Thunderhead Canyon 1

2400 Taylor Rd 3 Rieger Rd 1 Oak Park Village Dr 1

Waterside Dr 3 16509 Manchester Rd 1 Christmas Valley Rd 1

2460 Taylor Rd 3 Shadowridge Dr 1 125 Plaza 1

New College Ave 3 2401 Hwy 109 1 Wardenburg Farms Dr 1

Orrville Rd 3 Still Creek Pass 1 Arbor Chase 1

Forest Leaf Parkway 2 Hencken 1 16363 Lakefield Place 1

Shepard Rd 2 Sweet Cherry Way 1 Audubon Village 1

Ridge Rd 2 Hickory Crest 1 Westhampton Woods 1

Great Meadow Rd 2 Timber Ridge Estates Court 1 Babler Park Dr 1

16580 Manchester Rd 2 Hickory Forest Ln 1 Copper Lakes Blvd 1

Old Fairway 2 Waterfront Way 1 Babler View Dr 1

16555 Manchester Rd 2 Woods Rd 1 Copper Lantern 1

Old Eatherton Rd 2 Whiskey Creek Rd 1 Peppermill Dr 1

Kehrs Mill 2 Woodstone Trail Dr 1 Wynncrest Falls Dr 1

Hardt Rd 2 Black Wolf Run Dr 1 Homestead Manor Dr 1

Harbour Pointe Dr 2 Wynncrest Ridge Dr 1 100 Plaza 1

11629 Carriage View Ct 1

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FIGURE 2

TABLE 3

2019 Crashes by Day of the Week and Time

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Total

0:00 1 1 1 0 1 1 2 7

1:00 2 1 0 0 0 1 1 5

2:00 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 3

3:00 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

4:00 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2

5:00 1 1 0 0 4 0 2 8

6:00 1 1 0 2 6 1 1 12

7:00 0 5 3 8 3 6 0 25

8:00 1 1 8 5 2 7 1 25

9:00 1 2 1 5 3 3 1 16

10:00 7 3 6 2 3 3 0 24

11:00 2 7 3 2 4 1 4 23

12:00 1 4 3 3 6 8 7 32

13:00 5 5 3 6 1 3 9 32

14:00 3 3 5 4 4 7 4 30

15:00 2 10 11 4 8 9 6 50

16:00 6 6 12 9 10 12 1 56

17:00 5 7 7 4 9 1 4 37

18:00 0 4 5 7 5 3 2 26

19:00 2 2 2 4 3 2 7 22

20:00 1 2 3 2 2 5 0 15

21:00 3 2 3 5 4 2 1 20

22:00 2 1 0 1 1 1 4 10

23:00 1 0 2 2 1 2 1 9

Total 50 68 78 77 81 79 58 491

273

182

36

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

5 Major Roads City Street Private Property

Crashes by Roadway Type

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MULTI YEAR COMPARISON

There was a 7.8% decrease in the number of crashes from 2018 to 2019. As shown in Figure 3, the month with the most crashes in 2019 was October, which was the same high month as 2017. In 2018 and 2019, crashes were lower in the spring and summer months and higher in the winter. Between 2015 and 2019, the number of vehicles involved in crashes remained consistent. Figure 4 shows the five-year comparison of single versus multiple vehicle crashes. In each year between 2015-2019 between 61% and 63% of the crashes involved multiple vehicles. Table 4 shows the roadways which had the most crashes from 2015-2019, but doesn’t show all locations of crashes during this time. The cells are colored to show the highest number of crashes in red and the lowest number of crashes in blue. From 2015 to 2019 the intersection of Highway 100 and Taylor Road had the highest number of crashes. Of the five years of data included, the number of crashes at this intersection was highest in 2017 (with 17 crashes). Additionally, the number of crashes for Hwy 100 and Manchester in the east and west ends of Wildwood are listed separately at the bottom of the table. This shows that the intersection of Hwy 100 and Manchester/Westglen Farms has many more accidents than the intersection of Hwy 100 and Manchester/Booness Ln in the western part of Wildwood. In 2019, there were a couple of locations that were higher in crashes than previous years. Specifically, the intersection of Hwy 109 & Old Eatherton Rd saw an increase (13 crashes) in 2019, as did Hwy 109 & Pond Grover Loop.

FIGURE 3

FIGURE 4

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

2019 43 34 26 38 38 42 44 46 31 54 48 47

2018 51 29 39 42 42 47 37 48 54 47 34 63

2017 23 33 34 38 57 31 50 49 55 58 42 43

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70Crashes by Month: 3 Year Comparison

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Single 215 198 194 204 185

Multiple 372 324 319 329 306

100

200

300

400Vehicles Involved in Crashes by Year

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TABLE 4

Top Crash Locations by Year in 2019

Address 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total

Hwy 100 & Taylor Rd 14 6 17 14 9 60

Hwy 109 St & Shepard Rd 11 14 4 13 6 48

Hwy 109 St & Pond Grover Loop 11 9 8 7 12 47

17050 Clayton Rd 11 5 8 16 7 47

Hwy 109 St & Hidden Valley Forest 7 13 7 10 4 41

Hwy 100 & St Albans Rd 6 6 13 7 6 38

Hwy 109 St & Old Eatherton Rd 6 2 9 7 13 37

Hwy 109 St & Bent Ridge Dr 10 3 7 7 8 35

Hwy 109 St & Hwy 100 10 5 7 7 4 33

Hwy 109 St & Babler Park Dr 8 9 9 3 4 33

Hwy 100 & Pond Rd 4 7 7 6 8 32

Hwy 109 St & Old State Rd 4 11 7 7 3 32

Hwy 109 St & Clayton Rd 9 5 7 7 3 31

Hwy 109 St & Manchester Rd 5 7 4 7 7 30

Hwy 109 St & New College Ave 1 5 6 6 6 24

Hwy 100 & Hwy 109 St 5 7 7 3 2 24

Hwy 109 St & Rockwood Forest Valley 6 3 3 5 7 24

Hwy 109 St & Alt Rd 6 4 3 2 7 22

Hwy 109 St & Eatherton Rd 5 4 2 6 5 22

Hwy 109 St & Rocky Ridge 5 4 3 4 5 21

2460 Taylor Rd 3 3 5 6 3 20

Fox Creek Rd & Model Realty Rd 5 3 3 3 4 18

Clayton Rd & Hwy 109 St 3 6 2 3 4 18

Manchester Rd & Pierside Ln 3 8 3 1 2 17

Old State Rd & Chimney Top Farms 1 3 4 5 4 17

Taylor Rd & Hwy 100 3 3 3 2 4 15

St Paul Rd & Kiefer Creek 2 1 2 3 7 15

Clayton Rd & Strecker Rd 3 3 7 0 2 15

Manchester Rd (East End) & Hwy 100* - - 10 7 8 25

Hwy 100 & Manchester Rd (East End) - - 11 11 8 30

Hwy 100 & Manchester Rd (West End) - - 3 1 2 6

Manchester Rd & Hwy 100* 8 11 - - - 19

Hwy 100 & Manchester Rd* 4 9 - - - 13

Hwy 100 & Westglen Farms 17 7 - - - *In 2017 crashes that occurred on Highway 100 & Manchester started being calculated differently, thus 2017-2019 numbers are not comparable to previous years

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CRASHES WITH INJURY

While the number of crashes decreased in 2019 compared to 2018, the number of crashes with injuries stayed the same. Of the 533 crashes in 2018, there were 86 crashes which resulted in some type of injury (16.1%). This stayed consistent in 2019, when of the 491 crashes, there were 80 crashes which resulted in some type of injury (16.3%). Table 5 shows the top locations for crashes with injuries with the same color scheme as Table 4. Not surprisingly, many of the top locations for crashes with injuries were the same as the top locations of total crashes. Most notably, while the intersection of Highway 109 and Highway 100 is a top location for crashes, it is not a top location for crashes with injuries. There was only one crash at this location in 2018, and there were none in 2019. Figure 5 on the following page is a map detailing the areas where the highest concentrations of crashes with injuries occurred in 2019. Of note, the interchange was redesigned with roundabouts to handle traffic at both ends of the Highway 109 and Highway 100 interchange.

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Table 5

Top Crash Locations with Injuries by Year in 2019

Address 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total

Hwy 100 & Taylor Rd 5 1 7 2 4 19

Hwy 100 & St Albans Rd 1 1 6 4 3 15

Hwy 109 St & Shepard Rd 3 5 0 3 1 12

Hwy 109 St & Hidden Valley Forest 2 3 1 3 0 9

Hwy 109 St & Rockwood Forest Valley 4 1 1 1 2 9

Hwy 109 St & Manchester Rd 0 3 1 3 2 9

Hwy 109 St & Old Eatherton Rd 2 1 3 1 2 9

Hwy 100 & Pond Rd 0 0 2 3 3 8

Hwy 109 St & Babler Park Dr 1 2 3 1 1 8

Hwy 109 St & Bent Ridge Dr 3 1 0 1 3 8

St Paul Rd & Kiefer Creek 2 1 1 2 1 7

Hwy 109 St & Eatherton Rd 4 2 1 0 0 7

Hwy 109 St & Old State Rd 0 1 2 2 1 6

Hwy 100 & Fox Creek 0 1 1 3 1 6

Clayton Rd & Strecker Rd 2 2 2 0 0 6

Fox Creek Rd & Model Realty Rd 2 1 1 0 1 5

Hwy 109 St & Woods Rd 0 1 2 1 1 5

Hwy 109 St & Wild Horse Creek Rd 1 3 0 1 0 5

Hwy 109 St & Angelica Woods Ln 1 0 4 0 0 5

Old State Rd & Red Tail Hawk 0 0 2 2 1 5

Strecker Rd & Shepard Rd 0 2 2 1 0 5

Strecker Rd & Church Rd 2 0 0 0 3 5

Clayton Rd & Mcbride Pointe Dr 0 2 1 0 1 4

Hwy 109 St & Clayton Rd 1 1 0 1 1 4

Hwy 109 St & Acacia Dr 2 1 1 0 0 4

Manchester Rd & Pierside Ln 2 2 0 0 0 4

Manchester Rd (East End) & Hwy 100* - - 1 1 1 3

Hwy 100 & Manchester Rd (East End) - - 3 3 1 7

Hwy 100 & Manchester Rd (West End) - - 0 0 1 1

Manchester Rd & Hwy 100* 0 2 - - - 2

Hwy 100 & Manchester Rd* 0 0 - - - 0

Hwy 100 & Westglen Farms* 2 0 - - - 2

*In 2017 crashes that occurred on Highway 100 & Manchester started being calculated differently, thus 2017-2019 numbers are not comparable to previous years

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FIGURE 5

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Table 6 shows the factors contributing to the crashes with injuries in 2019. The top probable contributing factors for crashes were following too close, failure to yield, speeding/too fast for conditions, distracted/inattentive, and improper lane usage/change. These were also the top contributing factors for crashes in 2018.

TABLE 6 Contributing Factors to Crashes with Injuries 2019

Factor Number of Crashes

Following Too Close 14

Failed to Yield 12

Speed/Too Fast for Conditions 12

Distracted/Inattentive 12

Improper Lane Usage/Change 11

Animal(s) In Roadway 4

Physical Impairment 3

Alcohol/Drugs 3

Violation Signal/Sign 3

Driver Fatigue/Asleep 2

Improper Turn 2

Improper Passing 1

Other 1

FATAL CRASHES Over the past five years, there have been 16 crashes resulting in fatalities. Figure 6 (see page 17) is a map which shows the locations of these fatal crashes. Ten of the 16 crashes involved only one vehicle. In 2019 there were two fatal crashes consistent with two in 2018.

2015 Hwy 109 and Hawthorne Village Parkway: A two-vehicle crash occurred on June 14 involving one passenger vehicle and a motorcycle. The crash occurred in the intersection of Highway 109 and Hawthorne Village Parkway. The passenger vehicle completed a left hand turn from northbound Hwy 109 at Hawthorne Village Parkway failing to yield to a motorcycle travelling southbound on Hwy 109. The motorcycle struck the vehicle causing fatal injuries to the operator of the motorcycle. Hwy 109 and Turkey Track Road: On August 28 around 1:50 a.m., a single occupant vehicle, travelling north on Hwy 109 at a high rate of speed, lost control, striking the guardrail on the east shoulder of Hwy 109. The vehicle went over the guardrail, crashing into the embankment. The driver was ejected from the vehicle and suffered fatal injuries. The driver was not wearing a seatbelt. Shepard Road and Bent Ridge Court: On December 2 around 6:03 p.m., a single vehicle failed to negotiate a turn in the roadway. The vehicle left roadway and struck a tree. Exceeding the speed

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limit was listed as a probable contributing factor to the crash. The driver was ejected from the vehicle and suffered fatal injuries. The driver was not wearing a seat belt.

2016 Centaur Road and Eatherton Road: A single vehicle crash occurred on January 22 around 4:57 p.m. The vehicle passed several vehicles on Centaur Road in a no passing zone in a high rate of speed. The vehicle lost control of his vehicle and ran off roadway. The vehicle struck a tree where the driver suffered fatal injuries. Exceeding the speed limit was listed as a probable contributing factor to the crash. The driver was wearing a seatbelt. Highway 109 and Shepard Road: On April 16 around 6:45 p.m., a vehicle struck a pedestrian on Highway 109 at Shepard Road. The victim was crossing Highway 109 when a vehicle was making a left turn onto southbound on Highway 109 from the parking lot of Babler Elementary School, when the vehicle struck the pedestrian. The driver did not see the pedestrian in the roadway. Highway 100 and Taylor Road: On July 23 around 2:11 a.m., a two- vehicle crash occurred in the westbound lanes on Highway 100 and Taylor Road. One vehicle traveled the wrong direction on Highway 100 and struck another vehicle head on the westbound lanes on highway 100. The driver traveling Westbound Highway 100 suffered fatal injuries due to the crash. The driver who was traveling the wrong way was ejected from the vehicle and suffered fatal injuries. The driver was not wearing a seatbelt. Alcohol was listed as probable contributing factor to the crash.

2017 Highway 109 and Angelica Woods Lane: On January 18, around 2:04 p.m., a two-vehicle crash occurred in the northbound lane on Highway 109. A vehicle travelling southbound on 109 crossed over into the oncoming lane and stuck a vehicle head on in the northbound lanes. The driver traveling on northbound Highway 109 suffered fatal injuries. The driver was wearing a seatbelt. Driver fell asleep behind the wheel and fail to maintain a single lane were the probable contributing factors to the crash. Highway 100 and Highway T: On May 21, around 4:30 p.m., a two-vehicle crash occurred in the westbound lanes on Highway 100. A vehicle turned from eastbound Highway 100 towards northbound Highway T into the path of the other vehicle traveling westbound Highway 100. The driver traveling on westbound Highway 100 suffered fatal injuries due to the crash. Driver was not wearing a seatbelt. Driver fail to yield was the probable contributing factor to the crash. Overlook Hills and Highway 100: On September 25, around 10:57 a.m., a single vehicle crash occurred when a vehicle traveling in the eastbound lane travelled off the roadway and stuck a tree near Overlook Hills and Westbound Highway 100. The vehicle caught on fire upon impact. The driver had perished in the crash. The driver was wearing a seatbelt. Physical Impairment was the probable contributing factor to the crash. Highway 109 and Eatherton Road: On October 9, around 2:10 p.m., a single vehicle crash occurred when a vehicle traveling on northbound Highway 109 traveled off the roadway and stuck a utility pole. The driver suffered fatal injuries due to the crash. The driver was not wearing

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a seatbelt. Driver fell asleep behind the wheel and fail to maintain a single lane were the probable contributing factors to the crash. Highway 109 and Old Eatherton Road: On October 17, around 11:00 a.m. A two-vehicle crash occurred in the northbound lane on Highway 109. The vehicle travelling southbound on Highway 109 crossed over into the oncoming lane and stuck a vehicle head on in the northbound lane of Highway 109. The driver suffered fatal injuries due to the crash. The driver was wearing a seatbelt. Physical Impairment and fail to maintain a single lane were the probable contributing factors to the crash. Old State Road and Red Tail Hawk Road: On November 7, around 9:45 p.m., a single vehicle crash occurred when the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed and ran off the roadway. The driver suffered fatal injures due to the crash. The driver was not wearing a seatbelt. Driving too fast for conditions was the probable contributing factor to the crash.

2018 1220 Babler Park Drive: On February 5, around 2:27 pm, a single vehicle crash occurred when the driver suffered an unknown medical emergency that caused the vehicle to accelerate across the parking lot and down a steep embankment and crashed into a tree. The driver was found unresponsive, transported to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased. The driver was not wearing a seatbelt. Physical Impairment is the probable contributing factor to the crash. Vixen Circle and Vixen Road: On June 9, around 4:00 pm, a single vehicle crash occurred when a vehicle exiting a steep driveway on Vixen Circle, traveled off the roadway striking a tree. The driver appeared to have suffered an unknown medical emergency. The driver was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver was not wearing a seatbelt. Physical Impairment is the probable contributing factor of the crash.

2019 Highway 100 & Pond Road: On May 28th, around 3:20 pm, a two-vehicle crash occurred when a vehicle was attempting to make a left turn onto east bound Highway 100. The vehicle turned into the pathway of the approaching eastbound vehicle at which time the vehicles collided. The driver of the vehicle completing the left turn onto Highway 100was found unresponsive, transported to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased. Both drivers were wearing seatbelts. Failed to yield and inattention were the probable contributing factors to the crash on the part of the vehicle completing the left turn onto eastbound Highway 100. Highway 100 & Melrose Road: On June 23rd, around 4:44 pm, a vehicle crash involving a bicyclist occurred. A vehicle was traveling westbound on Highway 100 when a bicyclist entered the vehicle’s lane of traffic, at which time the vehicle struck the bicyclist. The bicyclist was unresponsive, transported to the hospital where he was later pronounced deceased. Inattention was the probable contributing factor to the crash on the part of the bicyclist.

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FIGURE 6

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CONTRIBUTING FACTOR ANALYSIS Investigating officers include probable contributing factors within their crash reports. These factors are the officers’ conclusions of what caused the crash to occur. For a complete list of probable contributing factors, please see the glossary on page 48. Table 7 lists the most commonly recorded contributing factors for crashes occurring in 2019. Following too close, distracted/inattentive, speeding/too fast for conditions, and animal(s) in roadway were the most common contributing factors in 2019. Table 8 shows number of crashes with these contributing factors that occurred in each time frame. Crashes that had following too close occurred during evening rush more often than other time periods. Additionally, Table 9 shows the percentage with the top contributing factors by time frame compared to the total percentage of crashes in each time frame. Notably, the top contributing factor of following too close was noted most commonly in evening crashes compared to other times of day. 48.5% of the crashes with the contributing factor of following too close occurred in the evening hours, while only 34.4% of all crashes occurred during this time period. Additionally, 44.2% of the crashes that reported animals in roadway as the contributing factor occurred overnight, whereas on 21% of all crashes occurred during that time frame. Figures 7 through 10 show the street segments having the highest concentration of crashes with the four top contributing factors.

TABLE 7 Contributing Factors to Crashes 2019

Factor Number of Crashes

Following Too Close 97

Distracted/Inattentive 72

Speed/Too Fast for Conditions 72

Animal(s) In Roadway 52

Improper Lane Usage/Change 46

Failed to Yield 45

Improper Backing 42

Improper Turn 18

Improper Passing 13

Alcohol/Drugs 7

Violation Signal/Sign 7

Vehicle Defects 5

Other 4

Driver Fatigue/Asleep 4

Physical Impairment 3

Failed to Secure Load/Improper Loading 3

Improperly Parked 1

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TABLE 8 2019 Top Contributing Factors by Time of Day

Contributing Factor Morning Rush Day Evening Rush Overnight

Following Too Close 12 29 47 9

Distracted/Inattentive 10 25 26 11

Speed/Too Fast for Conditions 10 25 19 18

Animal(s) In Roadway 7 7 15 23

Improper Lane Usage/Change 6 13 15 12

Failed to Yield 6 15 18 6

TABLE 9

2019 Contributing Factors by Time of Day: Percentage

Contributing Factor Morning Rush Day Evening Rush Overnight

Following Too Close 12.4% 29.9% 48.5% 9.3%

Distracted/Inattentive 13.9% 34.7% 36.1% 15.3%

Speed/Too Fast for Conditions 13.9% 34.7% 26.4% 25.0%

Animal(s) In Roadway 13.5% 13.5% 28.8% 44.2%

Improper Lane Usage/Change 13.0% 28.3% 32.6% 26.1%

Failed to Yield 13.3% 33.3% 40.0% 13.3%

All Crashes in 2019 12.6% 32.0% 34.4% 21.0%

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FIGURE 7

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FIGURE 8

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FIGURE 9

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FIGURE 10

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FIVE MAJOR ROADWAY ANALYSIS

Within the City of Wildwood, there are five major roadways which transect the city and have high traffic volume. Not surprisingly, because of the increased traffic volume, these locations also have higher numbers of crashes. The five major roadways in the City of Wildwood are Clayton Road, Highway 100, Highway 109, Manchester Road, and Old State Road. In 2019, crashes on the five major roadways accounted for 55.6% of crashes within the city, compared to 52.3% in 2018 (Table 9). Table 10 shows the percentage of crashes with injuries which occurred on each of the main roads compared to other roadways in Wildwood. In 2019, 70.1% of the crashes with injuries occurred on the major roadways.

TABLE 9

Percentage of Crashes on Five Major Roadways: 2015-2019

Street 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Other Roadways 47.9% 44.6% 40.4% 47.7% 44.4%

Hwy 109 27.3% 28.7% 26.3% 28.0% 30.1%

Hwy 100 11.8% 12.0% 16.8% 12.2% 11.6%

Clayton Rd 5.8% 5.2% 7.6% 2.8% 4.3%

Manchester Rd 4.3% 5.4% 4.3% 5.1% 5.7%

Old State 3.1% 4.2% 4.7% 4.3% 3.9%

TABLE 10

Crashes with Injuries on Five Major Roadways: 2015-2019

Street 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Other Roadways 37.9% 31.7% 33.7% 38.4% 30.0%

Hwy 109 35.0% 43.9% 25.6% 30.2% 31.3%

Hwy 100 11.7% 9.8% 25.6% 22.1% 20.0%

Clayton Rd 4.9% 8.5% 8.1% 1.2% 7.5%

Manchester Rd 6.8% 4.9% 1.2% 3.5% 5.0%

Old State 3.9% 1.2% 5.8% 4.7% 6.3%

CLAYTON ROAD

Clayton Road had a 40% increase in crashes between 2018 and 2019, however the number of crashes was still down compared to 2015-2017. Front impact was the most common crash classification (see Table 11). On Clayton Road, the top probable contributing factor for crashes each year for the past five years has been “Following too close” as seen in Table 12. Finally, Figure 12 displays the concentration of crashes on Clayton Road in the area of Lafayette High School at the Highway 109 intersection.

24 City of Wildwood

FIGURE 11

TABLE 11

Crash Classifications on Clayton Rd

Classifications 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total

Front Impact 9 7 17 7 12 52

Fixed Object 6 2 6 5 4 23

Rear Impact 9 7 2 1 19

Angle 3 4 6 1 2 16

Side Impact 3 3 2 1 3 12

Animal 4 1 4 9

Parked Motor Vehicle 2 2

Other 2 2

Head On 1 1

TABLE 12

Probable Contributing Factors on Clayton Rd

Factors 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total

Following Too Close 13 10 12 5 7 47

Distracted/Inattentive 2 1 5 3 3 14

Improper Lane Usage/Change 5 3 3 3 14

Failed To Yield 4 3 3 3 13

Animal(s) In Roadway 7 1 4 1 13

Speed/Too Fast for Conditions 1 5 2 1 9

Other/Not Noted in Report 1 3 1 1 6

Alcohol/Drugs 1 2 3 6

Violation Signal/Sign 4 4

Improper Turn 3 3

Improper Backing 1 1 1 3

Driver Fatigue/Asleep 1 1 2

Physical Impairment of Driver 1 1

Improper Passing 1 1

34

27

39

1521

0

10

20

30

40

50

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Crashes on Clayton Rd: 2015-2019

25 City of Wildwood

FIGURE 12

HIGHWAY 100 As shown in Figure 13, in the last five years, the number of crashes on Highway 100 was highest in 2017 and has decreased in 2018 and 2019. In 2019, the top crash classifications were front impact and animal (see Table 13). The top contributing factor in 2019 was animal(s) in the roadway, followed by following too close (see Table 14). The map in Figure 14 shows the highest concentration of crashes along Highway 100 were in the area of Westglen Farms.

26 City of Wildwood

FIGURE 13

TABLE 13

Crash Classifications on Highway 100


Front Impact 14 13 33 27 15 102

Animal 15 18 23 16 15 87

Angle 9 10 12 12 11 54


Rear Impact 16 7 23


Other 2 4 2 8

Pedestrian 2 2

Head On 1 1 2

Other Object 1 1

Rollover 1 1

6963

86

6557

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Crashes on Hwy 100: 2015-2019

27 City of Wildwood

TABLE 14

Probable Contributing Factors on Hwy 100

Factors 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total

Animal(s) In Roadway 16 16 24 15 15 86



Failed to Yield 6 6 13 9 7 41

Speed/Too Fast for Conditions 4 2 4 6 4 20

Improper Lane Usage/Change 6 3 4 4 3 20

Violation Signal/Sign 5 3 4 3 2 17

Other/Not Noted in Report 2 11 13


Improper Turn 1 2 1 2 6

Physical Impairment of Driver 1 1 2 4

Driver Fatigue/Asleep 1 1 1 3

Failed to Secure Load/Improper Loading 1 1 2

Improper Backing 1 1 2

Improper Passing 1 1 2

Vehicle Defects 2 2

FIGURE 14

28 City of Wildwood

HIGHWAY 109

Highway 109 had 148 crashes in 2019 compared to 149 in 2018. The top crash classification each year since 2016 was front impact (Table 15). The top contributing factor each year between 2015 and 2019 has been “following too close” (see Table 16). Figure 16 shows the areas along Highway 109 with the highest numbers of crashes. The highest concentration of crashes on Highway 109 occurred in the area of Highway 109 and Eatherton Road.

FIGURE 15

TABLE 15

Crash Classifications on Highway 109


Front Impact 41 54 68 79 78 320

Fixed Object 18 29 12 21 18 98

Animal 18 18 17 16 18 87

Side Impact 25 8 17 18 13 81

Angle 7 20 14 12 18 71

Rear Impact 44 13 1 58

Other 3 3 5 11

Rollover 1 1 3 1 6

Head On 3 1 1

Other Object 1 1

Parked Motor Vehicle 1

Pedestrian 1

160

150

135

149 148

120

125

130

135

140

145

150

155

160

165

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Crashes on Hwy 109: 2015-2019

29 City of Wildwood

TABLE 16

Probable Contributing Factors on Hwy 109

Factors 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total


Animal(s) In Roadway 18 20 18 16 18 90



Failed to Yield 13 17 14 17 12 73



Driver Fatigue/Asleep 5 4 4 2 1 16

Alcohol/Drugs 2 5 1 5 1 14

Violation Signal/Sign 3 2 3 3 3 14

Improper Turn 1 5 2 1 5 14


Failed to Secure Load/Improper Loading 1 4 2 7

Improper Passing 4 1 1 6

Physical Impairment of Driver 1 1 2

Vehicle Defects 1 1

FIGURE 16

30 City of Wildwood

MANCHESTER ROAD

Between 2015 and 2019 the number of crashes on Manchester Rd has stayed relatively consistent. In 2019 there were 28 crashes, compared to 27 crashes 2018 (Figure 17). The top crash classification in 2019 was front impact (Table 17). The top contributing factor in 2019 was following too close (see Table 18). Figure 18 shows the areas with the highest concentration of crashes along Manchester Road was in the area of Highway 109.

FIGURE 17

TABLE 17

Crash Classifications on Manchester Rd


Front Impact 4 10 8 12 16 50



Rear Impact 7 4 11

Angle 1 2 3 3 2 11

Animal 2 2 1 2 7

Bicycle 3 3

Other 1 1 1 3

Parked Motor Vehicle 1 1

Head On 1 1

2528

22

27 28

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Crashes on Manchester: 2015-2019

31 City of Wildwood

TABLE 18

Probable Contributing Factors on Manchester Rd

Factors 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total









Violation Signal/Sign 1 2 1 4

Improper Turn 1 2 3


Physical Impairment of Driver 1 1 1 3


Driver Fatigue/Asleep 1 1

FIGURE 18

32 City of Wildwood

OLD STATE ROAD

In 2019, Old State Rd had a reduction in crashes, from 23 in 2018 to 19 in 2019 (Figure 19). The most common crash classification in 2018 on Old State Road was fixed object (Table 19). As shown in Table 20, the top contributing factor of crashes on Old State Road in 2019 was speed/too fast for conditions. The locations with the most crashes on Old State Road are shown on the map in Figure 20.

FIGURE 19

TABLE 19

Crash Classifications on Old State Rd




Side Impact 4 2 1 3 10

Rear Impact 7 1 8

Angle 1 4 2 7

Animal 1 3 1 1 6

Rollover 1 1 2

Other Object 2 2

Other 1 1

Head On 1 1

18

2224 23

19

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Crashes on Old State: 2015-2019

33 City of Wildwood

TABLE 20

Probable Contributing Factors on Old State Rd

Factors 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total









Driver Fatigue/Asleep 1 1 2

Physical Impairment 1 1


Improper Turn 1 1

Failed to Secure Load/Improper Loading 1 1

FIGURE 20

34 City of Wildwood

OTHER ROADS OF INTEREST In the City of Wildwood, crash data for Fox Creek Road, St. Albans Road, Strecker Road, and Wild Horse Creek Road are also of interest. The number of crashes on these four roads has remained relatively consistent over the past five years as shown in Table 21. The biggest changes on these four roads in 2019 were a decrease in crashes on Wild Horse Creek and a slight increase on St. Albans compared to 2018. Tables 22-25 show the crash classifications for crashes occurring on these other roads of interest. The top crash classification in 2019 for each of these four roads was fixed object. Additionally, Tables 26-29 show the probable contributing factors to the crashes on the other roads of interest from 2015-2019. The top probable contributing factor for Wild Horse and Fox Creek was speed/too fast for conditions. The other two roads did not have a specific probable contributing factor that occurred more than others.

TABLE 21

Crashes on Other Roads of Interest

Roadways 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total

Wild Horse Creek 14 18 8 15 8 63

Strecker Rd 10 9 11 13 12 55

Fox Creek 9 6 9 5 7 36

St Albans Rd 4 6 5 1 6 22

TABLE 22

Crash Classification on Fox Creek Rd

Classification 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total


Side Impact 2 1 3

Other 1 1 2

Animal 1 1 2

Other Object 1

Rear Impact 1

Angle 1

Front Impact 1

TABLE 23

Crash Classification on St Albans Rd


Fixed Object 1 3 3 7

Animal 4 1 5

Angle 2 2 4

Other 1 1

Rear Impact 1 1

Front Impact 1 1

35 City of Wildwood

TABLE 24

Crash Classification on Strecker Rd




Side Impact 1 1 1 3

Other Object 1 2 3

Angle 1 1 1 3

Animal 1 1

Rollover 1 1

Rear Impact 1 1

Other 1

TABLE 25

Crash Classification on Wild Horse Creek Rd



Side Impact 3 1 1 2 7

Animal 1 3 4

Other 1 1 1 1 4

Angle 3 1 4

Front Impact 1 1 2

Other Object 1 1

Bicycle 1 1

Rollover 1 1

TABLE 26 Probable Contributing Factors on Fox Creek Road

Factors 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total


Distracted/Inattentive 2 1 3

Improper Lane Usage/Change 1 2 3



Alcohol/Drugs 1 1

Other/Not Noted in Report 1 1


Improper Backing 1 1


36 City of Wildwood

TABLE 27 Probable Contributing Factors on St Albans Rd

Factors 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total

Animal(s) In Roadway 1 2 3

Improper Lane Usage/Change 1 1 2

Failed to Yield 2 2

Improper Turn 1 1

Speed/Too Fast for Conditions 1 1

Distracted Inattentive 1 1

TABLE 28

Probable Contributing Factors on Strecker Rd

Factors 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total


Distracted/Inattentive 2 1 4 3 10





Failed to Yield 1 1 2

Improper Backing 1 1 2

Following Too Close 1 1



TABLE 29

Probable Contributing Factors on Wild Horse Creek Rd

Factors 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total






Driver Fatigue/Asleep 1 1 2 4


Alcohol/Drugs 2 1 3

Improper Passing 1 1 2

Improper Backing 1 1


Following Too Close 1 1

Improper Turn 1 1

Physical Impairment of Driver 1

37 City of Wildwood

ROUNDABOUT ANALYSIS To help the flow of traffic and to reduce congestion, the City of Wildwood constructed several roundabouts between 2014 and 2019. The roundabouts are located on Highway 109 at Highway 100, on Highway 109 at Pond Grover Loop, Old Fairway at Roaring Fork, and Old Fairway and Nantucket Island Drive. Table 30 shows the number of crashes which occurred at each of the roundabout locations between 2015 and 2019.1 In 2019, most roundabout crashes occurred at Hwy 109 & Pond Grover Loop. The two top contributing factors in 2019 were improper lane usage/change and distracted/inattentive (as shown in Table 31). In 2019, there was a crash at a roundabout with two injuries, the rest of the crashes at roundabouts did not have injuries. Of note, three roundabouts were constructed on Highway 109 at the Highway 100 interchange and directly south of Highway 100 at the intersection of Main Street and Highway 109.

TABLE 30

Crashes at Roundabout Locations: 2015-2019

Address 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total

Hwy 109 & Pond Grover Loop 11 9 5 4 9 38

Hwy 109 & Hwy 100 10 4 3 6 3 26

Manchester Rd & Taylor Rd 2 2 1 1 6

Old Fairway & Nantucket Island 1 3 4

Old Fairway & Waterside 3 3

Plaza & Fountain 1 1

Old Fairway & Roaring Fork 1 1

Old Fairway & Elderberry 0

TABLE 31 Crashes at Roundabout Locations: 2015-2019

Factor 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total


Distracted/Inattentive 7 2 3 3 15



Following Too Close 3 1 2 2 8

Other/Not Noted in Report 4 4

Alcohol/Drugs 2 2 4

Improper Turn 1 2 3



Animal 1 1


1 Crash totals were calculated from all crashes occurring on all roadways feeding into the roundabout. For example,

crashes which occurred at the intersection of Highway 109 & Pond Grover Loop as well as the intersection of Pond

Grover Loop & Highway 109 were included in ‘Hwy 109 & Pond Grover Loop’.

38 City of Wildwood

DEER STRIKE ANALYSIS

One of the top four contributing factors to crashes in the City of Wildwood in 2019 was animals in the roadway. Most of the crashes involving animals in the roadway are related to deer. While some deer strikes are reported to police, many go unreported resulting in less accurate statistics. To best account for deer related crashes, statistics are gathered from crash reports, computer aided dispatch records and euthanasia totals. In 2019, 66 deer were euthanized by officers of the Wildwood Precinct2, which was the highest number in the past five years. Additionally, there were more deer struck by vehicles in 2019 compared to the any of the last five years. Table 31 shows the breakdown of the deer related incidents in Wildwood compared to 2015-2018. When looking at the months in which deer strikes were most frequent, it appears that more deer strikes occur in the winter months (see Figure 21). As shown in Figure 21, this has remained constant for the last three years, though deer strikes were higher in both 2017 and 2019 compared to 2018. Notably, in 2019 there was a spike of deer strikes that occurred in October, and the numbers stayed elevated for the rest of 2019. Figure 22 shows the street segments with the highest concentration of deer strikes between 2015 and 2019. Figure 23 shows the street segments with the highest density of deer strikes in 2019. Together, these two maps show that the segments that had elevated numbers of deer strikes in 2019 have had high numbers of crashes since at least 2015. The areas of Wildwood that have elevated numbers of deer strikes are the five major roads. Specifically, there are several segments of Hwy 109, Hwy 100, Manchester, and Clayton Road that have had elevated numbers of deer strikes for the past five years. Finally, Figure 24 compares the locations of the deer strikes involving crashes and the strikes in which officers found deer on the side of the road.

TABLE 31

Deer Related Incidents by Year 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Deer Euthanized 55 45 40 50 66

Deer Struck (No Report) 187 156 193 178 223

Deer Struck (Crash Report) 48 58 59 53 44

Total Deer Struck by Vehicles 235 214 252 231 267

FIGURE 21

2 The dataset to analyze deer strikes is different from the dataset for all crashes occurring in the City of Wildwood.

Deer strike data is based on calls for service, not crash reports; therefore, the number of deer strikes may differ from

the number of crash reports with animals as a probable contributing factor.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

2017 21 17 8 14 10 17 13 17 19 53 24 39

2018 22 13 11 23 13 18 19 13 24 28 33 14

2019 26 11 11 7 20 20 11 6 20 49 48 38

0

20

40

60 Deer Strikes by Month 2017-2019

39 City of Wildwood

FIGURE 22

40 City of Wildwood

FIGURE 23

41 City of Wildwood

FIGURE 24

42 City of Wildwood

CONCLUSION It is the goal of the St. Louis County Police Department to assist in reducing the number of crashes occurring on roadways through the enforcement of traffic laws, driver education efforts and by recommending physical improvements to our roadways. For some locations having consistently high numbers of crashes, physical improvements to roadways could be the more effective means of reducing crashes at a given location. Such improvements could consist of changes such as the addition of guardrails or interactive signage (such as permanent speed display signs). Due to the nature of many of the roadways within the City of Wildwood, it is difficult for officers to conduct enforcement activities in certain locations. Factors such as narrow roadways with no shoulder, limited sight distances or lack of observation points can make it challenging to effectively conduct enforcement operations. Therefore, in some areas greater emphasis may need to be placed on roadway improvements, traffic calming measures and/or driver education efforts to impact crash rates.

Historically, police departments have focused efforts on traffic enforcement to impact crash rates. While this practice may be effective in certain situations, it usually limits crash reduction to periods when active enforcement is in place. Generally, drivers will modify their behavior for a short period of time after they see a police vehicle, but when the visual presence of police vehicles is removed, drivers will return to their previous habits (and crash rates will no longer be reduced from the enforcement efforts). Efforts must be made to explore new alternative methods, which may reduce crash rates in a more stable, permanent and effective manner. It is the goal of the Department to facilitate the implementation of permanent solutions to reduce crash-related concerns at specific locations throughout the city.

Information contained in this report will be used to direct the allocation of police resources and patrol strategies in the Department’s efforts to reduce the number of crashes within the City of Wildwood. In the City of Wildwood 50% to 60% of all crashes occur on one of the five major roadways. Additionally, as 70% of the crashes with injuries occurred on these five major roadways, efforts should remain focused on these roadways. Furthermore, since speeding/driving too fast for conditions remains tied for the second most common probable contributing factor of crashes, speed related enforcement activities will continue. However, speed enforcement should be directed to specific areas at specific times to have the maximum effect on crash rates. Additionally, following too close has been the most common probable contributing factor for at least the last five years, and was the top contributing factor for crashes with injuries in 2019.

When examining five-year trends, it is clear the five major roadways have higher crash rates and other high crash locations tend to be on roadways which intersect with one of the five major roadways. When taking in consideration the previous five years, Highway 100 and Taylor Road has had the high proportion of crashes. Specifically, Highway 100 and Taylor Rd had 9 crashes in 2019, which is a reduction from 2018 (14 crashes). Following too close and speed/too fast for conditions were the most frequent probable contributing circumstance at this location. Advanced intersection warning signage was installed in 2018 and appears to have assisted in reducing crashes.

43 City of Wildwood

The hours between 3 pm and 7 pm were still the most common for crashes during the “evening rush hour,” as during this time period the average for the year was 42.3 crashes per hour (the next most common time range was “day time hours” with a cumulative rate of 31 crashes per hour). In 2019 there was an increase in the number of crashes per hour during the “evening rush hour” compared to 2018 (33.8 crashes per hour over the year in the evening). Efforts should continue to make the evening rush hour as safe as possible. Overall, there was a decrease in the number of crashes per hour in 2019. Finally, in 2019 the top location for crashes was 17050 Clayton Rd (Lafayette High School). In 2019 there were 7 crashes occurring on the parking lot at this location, and the most common probable contributing factor was improper backing.

RECOMMENDATIONS During the Fall of 2018, the Wildwood Board of Public Safety developed a list of prioritized improvements for state routes within the City of Wildwood. The Board’s effort was intended to provide a prioritized list to MoDOT for future improvements. Recommendations included widening Hwy 109 to 4-Lanes with roundabouts from the Route BA South Junction (Babler Park Drive) to Clayton Road, installing Traffic Signals and lighting on Hwy 100 at Pond Road and St. Albans Road (Route T), installing lighting and a Left turn Lane on westbound Hwy 100 at Woodland Meadows Drive, widening Hwy 109 to 4-Lanes with Roundabouts from Main Street to New College Avenue, reduce the speed Limit on Hwy 100 from Pond Road to Westglen Farms Drive, install roundabouts on Hwy 109 at Wild Horse Creek Road and South Eatherton Road, shoulder and safety improvements on Hwy 109 from Wild Horse Creek Road to the Eureka City Limit, install turn lanes and lighting on Hwy 109 at side roads, install turn lanes and lighting on Hwy 100 at side roads and installing intersection lighting on Hwy 100 at Mueller Road, Wild Horse Creek Road, Manchester Road, Melrose Road, and Fox Creek Road. Consideration should be given to reducing the speed limit on Hwy 100. Specifically, there are a high number of crashes which occur at or near the intersections of Hwy 100 and Westglen Farms and Hwy 100 and Taylor Road. From the Ellisville/Wildwood border, the speed limit on Hwy 100 ranges from 40 mph to 50 mph. Just west of Ellisville, the speed limit increases from 50 to 55 mph to the western border of the City of Wildwood. Higher speed limits are known to increase the likelihood of crashes occurring at intersections (vehicles approaching a controlled intersection at higher speeds). A reduction in the crash rate would most likely occur if the speed limit on Hwy 100 (in both directions) is reduced to 50 mph, within the Wildwood city limits (from Hwy 109 to Westglen Farms). The factors of following too close and distracted/inattentive attributed for the most common probable contributing circumstances for crashes occurring on Hwy 100 at Westglen Farms and Hwy 100 at Taylor. Special enforcement activities focusing on vehicles following too close and improper lane use will be conducted in an attempt to reduce the crash rate in this area of Hwy 100. Hwy 109 from Route BA (north) to Clayton Road continues to be an area where we again experienced a high number of crashes in 2019. Consideration should be given to reducing the speed limit on Hwy 109. Additionally, flashing signs for southbound Hwy 109 drivers could be used to remind them to slow down. An additional solution in this area could be to modify

44 City of Wildwood

roadway design to include turn lanes at locations (Hwy 109 /Bent Ridge and Hwy 109/ BA South) where stopping on the roadway has resulted in rear end collisions due to distracted drivers, excessive speed, following too close, or where limited sight distance are factors in the number of crashes. In examining the top five locations of crashes with injuries over the past five-year period, all five locations are on either Hwy 100 or Hwy 109 (see Table 5 on Page 11). It is recommended the City of Wildwood and MoDOT consider the installation of permanent warning indicators at the intersection of Hwy 100 and Hwy T and the intersection of Hwy 100 and Pond (electric signal, signage indicating intersection ahead, rumble strips, or flashing yellow lights added to stop and yield signs). It should be noted, in 2017 there was one fatal crash at Hwy 100 and Hwy T. In 2019 there was one fatal crash on Hwy 100 at Pond Road. The Department will continue to assign beat and traffic officers to conduct traffic enforcement assignments at high volume crash locations, greater emphasis on conducting enforcement related activities directed toward following too close violations during identified peak crash times. Deploy speed display equipment at high volume crash locations where speed/too fast for conditions is a contributing factor, particularly at times when officers are more likely to be unavailable due to high volume calls for service, or to increase speed limit awareness and compliance. Conduct deer distance sampling in areas where the deer strike density is high. Implement recommendations from the Wildwood Board of Public Safety Deer Management Subcommittee which may include options to expand hunting opportunities in the city, modification of current municipal code to allow for combined parcels to meet the minimum 3 acre requirement for hunting, enact legislation to regulate the feeding of wildlife and consider implementing a deer culling program to reduce crashes involving deer.

45 City of Wildwood

GLOSSARY OF TERMS The categories of probable contributing circumstances document the circumstances which contributed to a crash based on the possible contributing factors listed in the Missouri Uniform Crash Report Preparation Manual. 3 The manual describes other contributing circumstances; however, they were not given as factors in the crashes in 2016 and are not included in this list.

• Alcohol and/or Drugs: Use of alcohol and/or narcotics by the driver based on the investigating officer’s judgement. Notation of this factor does not indicate intoxication, but consumption or use contributed to the crash.

• Animal(s) In Roadway: Animal(s), alive or dead, in the roadway contribute to the crash.

• Cell Phone: The following conditions will apply to the category of a driver being distracted by a communication device including but not limited to a hand-held mobile communication device (including calls, texts, emails, web browsing) or a hands-free communication device (i.e. “On-Star” or other similar service).

• Driver Inattention: The following situations describe inattention: Adjusting Vehicle not including the radio/stereo equipment, using computer/electronic equipment or games not including mobile telephone, eating or drinking, external distraction, grooming, navigation device, passengers, reading, tobacco use, or other.

• Driver Fatigue and/or Asleep: Driver contributes fatigue or falling asleep to the crash.

• Failures to Secure Load: Items in or on vehicle are not properly secured to vehicle resulting in vehicle losing contents of load.

• Failed to Yield: Driver did not yield the right-of-way to another vehicle or pedestrian.

• Following Too Close: Driver causing crash follows another vehicle too closely

• Improper Backing: Driver improperly operates vehicle in reverse.

• Improper Lane Usage / Change: Driver using lane or making lane change, not including turning.

• Improper Passing: Improper passing of another vehicle without changing direction of traffic.

• Improper Turn: Driver makes an improper turn which contributes to crash. Driver must make turn to change traffic direction, not change lanes maintaining same traffic direction.

• Other/None given: Unlisted factor is given, or factor is not given

• Physical Impairments of Driver: Driver has physical condition or impairment (not including fatigue or being asleep) which contributes to crash

• Speed: Driver was operating vehicle too fast for the conditions of the road (weather, construction, etc.) or the vehicle was exceeding the speed limit.

• Vehicle Defects: Defects of vehicle contributed to crash

• Violation Signal / Sign: The driver failed to follow: electric signal, stop sign, officer / flagman, yield sign, road closed sign, no passing in a work zone, etc.

3 The Missouri STARS Committee. “Missouri Uniform Crash Report Preparation Manual”. 2012.

annual vehicle crash analysis: 2019

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