Atlanta’s Most Dangerous Intersections
Atlanta is a city with an international reputation for bad traffic congestion. Transportation analytics firm INRIX recently ranked Atlanta as one of the most congested cities in the world, and finance company NerdWallet ranked Atlanta as one of the most dangerous cities in the US to be a driver. Why? Atlanta’s busy intersections may be partly to blame.
At The Champion Firm, our Atlanta accident lawyers looked at traffic data and crash reports from the Atlanta Police Department, the City of Atlanta, the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. All of these groups identified the City’s most dangerous intersections. Here’s a look:
The Most Dangerous Intersections in the City of Atlanta:
- Briarcliff Road and North Druid Hills Road
- Buford Highway and Lenox Road
- Butner Road and Camp Creek Parkway
- Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard and Wheeler Street
- Memorial Drive and Hill Street
- Moreland Avenue and Constitution Road
- Piedmont Avenue and Monroe Drive
- Roswell Road and Abernathy Road
- State Road-139 and Bolton Road
According to the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, there were 428 fatal traffic accidents in the Metro Atlanta area (Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett, and Clayton Counties) in 2020, which is the most recent year for this data. That’s up about 7% from 2019. So what makes Atlanta’s intersections so dangerous?
Why Atlanta’s Intersections Are Dangerous
Traffic congestion and poor signage can contribute to intersection accidents, but the number one factor is actually distracted driving. Across the US, nine people die every day in a distracted driving-related accident. That’s about 3,200 people every year. Distracted driving, or recognition error, happens when the driver is engaged in an activity that distracts them from the road. They could be texting, talking to their passengers, adjusting the radio, grooming, eating, or even drinking behind the wheel. All of these things take a driver’s focus from the road – and when you’re not 100% focused, that’s when an accident is more likely to happen.
Atlanta is a populous, busy city with more than half a million residents. Its intersections are going to be hazardous, just by the nature of how many people are traveling through them each day. The construction of the roadways and intersections is also a contributing factor. If you’ve driven around Atlanta, you may have noticed that in some of the oldest parts of town, not all of the intersections are at 90-degree angles. Some of the intersections have five or more incoming roadways, or other intersections are built with odd, non-traditional angles. This can be a recipe for disasater, especially if you have a driver who is distracted or unfamiliar with the area. It’s much more difficult to navigate the odd turns or judge the incoming traffic.
Have You Been Injured in an Atlanta Traffic Accident? Contact The Champion Firm
If you or a loved one has been injured in an Atlanta traffic accident – whether it’s at an intersection or not – you may be unsure of what to do next. At The Champion Firm, our team of experienced and knowledgeable personal injury attorneys can explain your legal rights, help coordinate your medical treatment, and even handle communication with the at-fault party’s insurance company. If you would like to set up a free consultation at one of our Atlanta-area offices, please call us at 404-596-8044 or reach out online for your free, no-risk consultation.