Proceed with caution: These are the Phoenix area's most dangerous intersections
The number of road crash fatalities in Arizona reached a 15-year high in 2021 when 1,180 people died in accidents across the state, according to data from the Arizona Department of Transportation.
Many of these fatalities happened at intersections.
The Maricopa Association of Governments tracks reports of crashes at intersections and gives a glimpse of where drivers might need to exercise extra caution. According to the association's records, 60% of traffic injuries and 40% of fatalities in road crashes in central Arizona occur at intersections.
Between 2017 and 2021, more than 400 crashes occurred at 99th Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road in Phoenix, making it the riskiest intersection in the Maricopa Association of Government’s data. That intersection is a roundabout.
How intersections are ranked
It is not merely the number of crashes that puts the 99th Avenue and Lower Buckeye intersection at the top of the list of Phoenix's riskiest intersections, said the association's transportation safety program manager, Margaret Herrera.
In fact, there are cases where intersections with fewer crashes are ranked riskier than those with more crashes.
A crash risk score assigned to each intersection takes into account the frequency, severity and type of crash. The 99th Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road intersection has a score of 0.953 out of 1.
Hot spot of risky intersections
There is a concentration of dangerous intersections along 35th Avenue in Phoenix. That avenue alone has 13 of the 100 riskiest intersections across the area the Maricopa Association of Governments tracks in central Arizona, including Maricopa, Florence and Apache Junction in Pinal County.
In the East Valley, the Tempe intersection of Rural Road and University Drive ranks as the 16th most dangerous intersection in the region, accounting for 198 crashes over the past five years.
51st Avenue and Camelback Road in Glendale is the top intersection for risk in the West Valley. It has recorded over 200 road crashes since 2017.
Scottsdale has just one intersection among the 100 riskiest in the Maricopa Association of Government's data. More than 150 crashes happened at the intersection over the period of 2017 to 2021.
Road crash fatalities over the years
Between 2017 and 2021, road crashes in Arizona resulted in 5,223 fatalities, data from the state Transportation Department shows.
Arizona has one of the highest rates of pedestrian deaths in the U.S., at 2.99 per 100,000 people in 2020.
Phoenix is working to reduce pedestrian fatalities. The city has installed at least 85 High Intensity Activated Crosswalk signals — commonly called HAWK beacon signals — since 2009, according to Greg Bach, a spokesperson for the city's transportation department.
Reach the reporter at olakunle.falayi@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: These are Maricopa County's most dangerous intersections
