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The most dangerous intersections in Phoenix are those with the highest combination of crash frequency, severe injuries, and fatal collisions. Busy arterial roads, heavy commuter traffic, high-speed travel, left-turn conflicts, distracted driving, and red-light running all contribute to making certain intersections far more hazardous than others.
The top most dangerous Phoenix intersections include 99th Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road, 67th Avenue and McDowell Road, and 75th Avenue and Indian School Road. Knowing where these accident hotspots are and understanding why crashes happen there can help drivers stay alert and reduce their risk on Phoenix roads.
This guide highlights the most dangerous intersections in Phoenix using crash data from the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), explains how these locations are ranked, and discusses the factors that make them particularly dangerous. If you’ve been injured in a collision at one of these intersections, an experienced Arizona car accident attorney can help you understand your legal rights and pursue compensation for your medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages.
| Phoenix Intersection Safety Facts | Details |
|---|---|
| Most dangerous intersection | 99th Avenue & Lower Buckeye Road (411 crashes) |
| Data source | Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) crash analysis |
| Ranking factors | Crash frequency, crash severity, and crash type |
| Most common crash risks | Left-turn collisions, red-light running, distracted driving, speeding |
| Where most high-risk intersections are located | Primarily west Phoenix along 99th Avenue, 67th Avenue, 75th Avenue, McDowell Road, and Indian School Road |
| Who may be entitled to compensation? | Drivers, passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists injured by another driver’s negligence |
| What to do after an intersection crash | Call 911, seek medical care, document the scene, gather witness information, and speak with an Arizona car accident attorney |
The ten most dangerous intersections in Phoenix are mostly in Phoenix proper. Using crash data collected between 2017 and 2022, the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) ranked intersections by their overall Crash Risk, which factors in the frequency of crashes, the severity of the injury, and crash type. Here are the top ten most dangerous intersections:
Click on the map icons for details.
It is worth noting that, 27th Avenue is the nation’s fourth worst street for pedestrian deaths. According to the Washington Post, the number of pedestrians killed by vehicles has surged. No single cause can explain the surge, but researches suspect it is a combination of factors like cell phone use, road designs enabling higher speeds, and pedestrians faced with going out of their way to find a crosswalk instead choosing to dash through traffic.
MAG ranked the intersections by creating a Weighted Intersection Safety Score (ISS) that consists of:
As a result of this methodology, some intersections with fewer crashes were still considered to have a higher crash risk. Generally, the rankings can be interpreted to suggest that the intersections with the highest crash risk are the intersections with the most fatalities or catastrophic injuries. According to MAG, regional crash statistics show that 60% of traffic-related injuries and 40% of fatalities occur at intersections. The most dangerous intersections in Phoenix cause many deaths. Therefore, you might want to be extra vigilant when approaching and going through intersections.
The details discussed above are based on 24/7 traffic statistics. If you narrow the data to rush hour traffic and expand to city-wide statistics, the data tells a different story. Scottsdale is ranked as the second most dangerous city in the U.S. for driving during rush hour. Scottsdale had 107 deadly crashes, from 2018 through 2022, out of which 32 occurred during rush hour. That means 30% of fatal crashes occurred during rush hour. The cause is not clear, but there are certain universal truths to driving in Arizona. Slow-moving vehicles and stop-and-go traffic tend to foster distractions and cell phone usage. Also, people are more likely to speed up to avoid stopping at a red light or getting stuck behind more traffic.
In 2022, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) reported 119,991 vehicle crashes in the state, which was a slight decrease from 2021. Approximately 103,571 of those crashes occurred in urban areas like Phoenix-metro, with Phoenix seeing around 38,331 crashes. Not surprisingly, 65.8% of all fatal crashes in Arizona occurred in urban areas, with Phoenix seeing around 24% of fatal crashes (both down from the prior year).
However, Arizona reached a 15-year high in car accident fatalities. In Arizona, 1,178 people died in accidents. Approximately, 3.55 persons were killed each day in motor vehicle accidents. On top of that, 144 persons were injured each day in motor vehicle accidents. Crashes that occurred during daylight hours accounted for 70.4% of all crashes.
We know how overwhelming and stressful it can be after a car accident. You and your family are likely dealing with physical injuries, mounting medical bills, and wondering what will happen to your car. You might also be wondering how to handle the legal aspects of what happened. A car accident attorney at Gage Mathers Law Group is here to help you through the entire process, from start to finish, and get you the compensation you deserve for all your harm and losses after a motor vehicle accident. Call us today at 602-258-0646 or visit us online and allow us to take on the stress of handling the legal aspects of your injury claim so you can focus on recovering and getting back to the things you once enjoyed.
Personal Injury & Accident Lawyers in Arizona
Speak to one of our personal injury attorneys and learn more about the legal options for your accident claim.
If you’ve been in an accident, you might want to check out our Free Personal Injury Settlement Calculator, learn why you might have memory problems after a car accident, or learn why you have muscle spasms after a crash. Ultimately, you might want to consult with a Phoenix car accident lawyer to learn if you are entitled to compensation for your crash-related injuries.
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