As Detroit car accident attorneys, the team at Davis Injury Lawyers, PLLC, has seen just about every type of accident that can arise at a dangerous intersection. We know what to do if you or a loved one is injured in a crash. Contact us today at (313) 462-7979 to learn what to do in your intersection accident.
Intersection Accident Crash Statistics
Out of the 24,687 crashes in Detroit in 2017, 10,288 occurred at intersections, according to Michigan Traffic Crash Facts. Almost all of them (81.4 percent) were freeway intersections. Astonishingly, one-third of these recorded accidents were hit-and-run, with the perpetrator(s) fleeing the scene.
In 2017, Southeast Michigan as a whole recorded 50,359 intersection-related traffic collisions, according to the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments. Of those, nearly one-third were collisions at an “angle,” including T-bone collisions; 29.9 percent were rear-end collisions, and 12.2 percent were sideswipes from vehicles traveling next to each other in the same direction.
The 10 Most Dangerous Michigan Intersections of 2018
Unsurprisingly, Macomb County saw the most intersection accidents in Metro Detroit in 2018, followed by Oakland County and Wayne County. Here are the numbers:
- Telegraph Road at 12 Mile Road, Southfield – 145 crashes and 24 injuries
- Orchard Lake Road at 14 Mile Road, Farmington Hills/West Bloomfield – 144 crashes and 20 injuries
- 18 1/2 Mile Road at Van Dyke Ave., Sterling Heights – 141 Total Crashes and 12 injuries
- M 5/Martin Parkway at Pontiac Trl, Commerce Twp – 138 crashes and 9 injuries
- I 75 at Big Beaver Road, Troy – 129 crashes and 13 injuries
- 11 Mile Road/I 696 at Van Dyke Ave, Warren/Center Line – 126 crashes and 27 injuries
- Telegraph Road at Schoolcraft Road, Redford Twp – 125 crashes and 15 injuries
- State Road at Ellsworth Road, Ann Arbor/Pittsfield Twp – 123 crashes and 6 injuries
- Hall Road/M 59 at Schoenherr Road, Utica/Sterling Heights – 116 crashes and 20 injuries
- I 75 at M 59, Auburn Hills – 115 crashes and 30 injuries
The 10 Most Dangerous Detroit Intersections
- 11 Mile Road/I-696 and Van Dyke Avenue – 194 crashes
- 18 ½ Mile Road and Van Dyke Avenue – 165 crashes
- Telegraph Road and 12 Mile Road – 150 crashes
- Orchard Lake Road and 14 Mile Road – 144 crashes
- Martin Parkway and Pontiac Trail – 142 crashes
- I-75 and Big Beaver Road – 120 crashes
- Metropolitan Parkway and Mound Road – 117 crashes
- Schoolcraft Road and Telegraph Road – 112 crashes
- Ford Road and Lilley Road – 109 crashes
- Hall Road/M-59 and Schoenherr Road – 107 crashes3
Please take care when traveling these roadways!
What Makes Intersections More Dangerous?
Since intersections are the exchange roads throughout the state, they see crashes every single day of the week, not just on workdays or at rush hour. Here are the problems we notice that create inherently dangerous intersections:
- More vehicles in a crowded space. One false move by one inattentive driver can lead to a chain reaction, affecting multiple vehicles. In these circumstances, it can be difficult for multiple victims to receive compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurance company, which is why speaking to a personal injury lawyer right away is so vital.
- Aggressive driving. Many drivers believe they can “make the yellow light” or turn left quickly against opposing traffic without causing a crash. It seems many drivers resent having to slow down at an intersection, and keep going when they shouldn’t. Since speeds at an intersection are slower, people think they can break the right-of-way laws in a relatively “safe” way. This is not true. We have seen many tragic events coming from drivers trying to “squeeze through.”
- Lack of knowledge about right-of-way laws. Inexperience is the cause of many intersection accidents. Data from Michigan Traffic Crash Facts suggest that at least 25 percent of Detroit’s intersection accidents in 2017 involved drivers between the ages of 15 and 24. If a driver does not know who should be going (and there are no traffic signals at that particular intersection to guide them), an accident is all but inevitable.
- Distracted driving. As mobile phones become increasingly attached to our hands, many drivers believe that being stopped or slowing down at an intersection gives them license to check their text messages, or fiddle with directions. Perhaps they just blow through a red light because they are not paying attention. Needless to say, distracted driving causes many accidents every year in the United States.
These factors can combine in lethal ways. At an intersection, with no room to maneuver, it’s unfortunate that innocent victims are usually left paying the price for another driver’s impatience or disregard for traffic laws.
Contact an Intersection Accident Lawyer Today
One thing you can be sure of after an intersection accident in Metro Detroit is that our knowledgeable team at Davis Injury Lawyers, PLLC, has seen it before. We’ve dealt with every kind of collision at a dangerous intersection. We’ve helped clients recover compensation for their injuries, vehicle damage, and other costs of the accident. Auto insurance companies are rarely willing to give you what you deserve after an accident, but we know how to negotiate with them, and have no patience for their tricks.
Contact us today to set up a free consultation with an experienced Detroit intersection accident attorney. We will not charge any attorney fees unless we recover fair compensation for you.