The Phoenix metropolitan area includes all of Maricopa and Pinal Counties. Over 75% of all traffic accidents in Arizona happen in these two counties. This makes sense considering that 67% and 70% of the state’s population live in the Phoenix metro area.
Within Phoenix, traffic accidents tend to cluster around the most dangerous roads and intersections in Phoenix, AZ. These accident hotspots happen for a few reasons, including poor road design, insufficient traffic controls, and inadequate pedestrian and bicycle crossings. But the most significant cause of car accident clusters is driver carelessness.
If you were involved in an accident and would like to learn more about your options going forward, Contact the lawyers at Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers by calling (602) 595-5559 today.
How Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After an Accident in Phoenix, AZ
Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers is an elite Phoenix, Arizona, personal injury law firm. Our Phoenix car accident lawyers have over 55 years of combined experience fighting for injured clients against negligent drivers and their insurers.
We help accident victims by providing the following:
- Free consultations to discuss their accidents and identify their legal options
- Contingency fee representation so clients only pay when we win or settle their cases
- A 98% success rate with over $30 million recovered for injured clients
A car accident can affect your health and financial stability. Contact Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers, for a free consultation to discuss your injuries and the compensation you may pursue under Arizona law.
How Common Are Car Accidents in Phoenix?
According to statistics, Phoenix had 40,833 traffic accidents, according to the Arizona Crash Facts report for 2021. These crashes included 278 fatal accidents and 10,879 injury accidents. In total, traffic accidents killed 294 people and injured 16,062 people that year.
Why Do Car Accidents Happen?
According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), crashes happen for three primary reasons:
- Vehicle faults, like blown tires and bad brakes
- Environmental conditions, like slick roads and poor visibility
- Driver errors, like speeding and distracted driving
But some reasons happen more often than others. Driver errors cause the overwhelming majority of crashes. Roughly 94% of car, pedestrian, and bicycle accidents happen due to driver errors.
Unsafe vehicles and poor road and weather conditions only get blamed for about 4% of crashes. Another 2% of crashes have unknown causes.
And yet crashes still tend to cluster in certain places. These clusters often result from the following:
- Too much traffic congestion
- Too few crosswalks
- Inadequate stop signs and traffic lights
- Speed limits set too high
- Blind driveways and intersections
When traffic officials identify crash clusters, they will look at options for calming traffic, accommodating vulnerable road users, and easing traffic congestion.
Where Do Car Accidents Happen in Phoenix?
Phoenix adopted the Vision Zero Road Safety Action Plan in 2022. This plan views all traffic crashes as preventable rather than accidental. It looks at tools like road design and traffic laws to improve road safety for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists.
The first step of Phoenix’s Vision Zero plan was to identify where accidents happen. Phoenix referred to this map as its “high injury network.” The high injury network also helps to indicate the most dangerous roads and intersections in Phoenix, AZ.
Most Dangerous Intersections in Phoenix, AZ
Accidents happen at intersections primarily due to a failure to yield the right of way. Some common scenarios where a driver fails to yield the right of way include:
- Running a red light or stop sign
- Turning in front of an approaching vehicle
- Turning into an occupied crosswalk
These accidents often cause serious injuries due to head-on and side-impact collisions. These crashes can cause head, chest, and abdominal trauma. They can also break your arms or legs if your door collapses after getting hit.
Some of the city’s most dangerous intersections include:
- Van Buren St. and Central Ave.
- Van Buren St. and 1st Ave.
- Buckeye Rd. and 7th Ave.
- Glendale Ave. and 19th Ave.
- Camelback Rd. and 27th Ave.
- McDowell Rd. and 24th St.
These intersection crashes include pedestrian and bicycle crashes that happen when drivers fail to yield to vulnerable road users in crosswalks.
Most Dangerous Roads in Phoenix
Accidents happen between intersections for many reasons, including:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Tailgating
- Changing lanes unsafely
These crashes often take the form of rear-end or sideswipe collisions. Although they can cause serious injuries, such as concussions and whiplash, these crashes are less deadly than intersection crashes.
- I-10
- I-17
- Van Buren St.
- McDowell Rd.
- Northern Ave.
- Central Ave.
- 1st Ave.
- 7th Ave.
- 43rd Ave.
Crashes on interstates are particularly dangerous. High-speed collisions have more crash energy, leading to serious injuries. These crashes are even more dangerous when a semi truck or delivery truck is involved. These trucks can outweigh your vehicle by several tons. As a result, truck accidents often cause fatal or catastrophic harm.
Schedule a Free Consultation with Our Phoenix Car Accident Law Firm
Car accidents can happen anywhere, including Phoenix’s most dangerous roads and intersections. Contact Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers, for a free consultation with one of our Personal Injury attorneys to learn about your legal rights after you get injured in a car accident.