Dangerous Intersections in Kentucky

Drivers may break the speed limits, violate red lights and misjudge where other vehicles are and where they’re going. Poor weather and poor design can also contribute to the problem. When driving through a Kentucky intersection, be especially careful.

Lexington Police released to WKYT the the most dangerous intersections in Lexington in 2012. There were more than 140 vehicle accidents at the top five intersections. The most dangerous intersection listeded was the roundabout at Wellington Way and Reynolds Road, averaging three accidents a month.

Local residents told WKYT the roundabout is dangerous for a number of reasons

• Vehicles go too fast into the intersection.
• Vehicles in the wrong lane cut off others to get where they need to go.
• It’s narrow, and traction can be bad when the road is wet.

Other intersections on the list include:

• Richmond at Fontaine Road (which averaged about one accident every other week)
• South Broadway at West Vine Street
• Alumni Drive at Man O’ War Boulevard
• Man O’ War at Pink Pigeon.

Lexington Police state the intersections are especially dangerous because of these characteristics:

• High volume
• Drivers trying to beat red lights
• Speeding

In the University of Kentucky area, intersections can be especially hazardous because of the high volume of traffic, numerous pedestrians, and impatient and intoxicated drivers during events such as basketball or football games.

A study by the University’s College of Engineering published in 2003 looked at crash rates at intersections throughout the state.

• About 7,000 intersections saw nearly 19,000 crashes for 2000 through 2002.
• Crash rates were higher in urban areas compared to rural ones.
• In all areas, the accident rate was highest for four-lane undivided highways and lowest for four-lane divided highways.
• About 35% of vehicle accidents Kentucky during those years occurred at intersections.

In the U.S. over the past several years, an average of one-quarter of traffic fatalities and about half of all traffic injuries are attributed to vehicle accidents at intersections, according to the federal Department of Transportation (DOT).

The agency states that in 2014 the total number of traffic fatalities was 32,675, with 8,661 occurring in intersections.

• There were 5,986 fatalities in intersections without signals, including 872 pedestrians and 195 bicyclists.
• There were 2,675 deaths in intersections with signal lights, including 648 pedestrians and 112 bicyclists.

Intersections are one of the most complex situations that drivers encounter, because there are many points where there can be conflicts with other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, states a study by the Virginia Transportation Research Council released in 2010. Drivers need to perform a number of complex tasks, possibly in poor lighting, during bad weather, and while coping with inconsiderate drivers, pedestrians or cyclists. Drivers may be distracted, fatigued or intoxicated. They must stay alert to the need for several actions:

• Maintain the proper lane position
• Respond to signs, signals and lane markings
• Avoid conflicting or adjacent traffic, pedestrians and cyclists
• Speed up or slow down as appropriate.

Because so much thought and concentration is needed and there could be multiple people and vehicles involved, crashes at intersections figure prominently in accident statistics:

• Intersection collisions account for about 44% of all reported accidents on the national highway network.
• They are the locations for more than 20% of all vehicle accident fatalities nationwide.
• Intersection crashes cost society about $40 billion annually.
• About 60% of crashes causing injuries and 37% of fatal crashes involving drivers 64 and older occur in intersections.

Common driver mistakes causing accidents at intersections include these:

• Failure to pay attention and properly see the situation
• Making false assumptions of another driver’s intention
• Turning despite having an obstructed view
• Making illegal maneuvers
• Internal distraction
• Misjudging of the gap with another vehicle or another vehicle’s speed.

The results of an accident at an intersection are frequently deadly. There can be “T-bone,” sideswipe or broadside collisions where the front of one vehicle strikes the side of another.  This can be especially dangerous when a car is involved, because while the front and the rear have substantial “crumple zones” to absorb a collision, the sides do not. Pedestrians and cyclists are also vulnerable because they have no protection at all.

If you have been involved in a vehicle accident at a Kentucky intersection, whether as the driver or as a passenger in a vehicle, as a pedestrian or cyclist, and it was not your fault, you should know your rights and seek legal protection. You can bet the insurance company knows what to do to keep you from getting fair compensation. We can help. Call Julie Butcher, the Lexington, KY, Vehicle Accident Lawyer at 859-233-3641 or fill out our online contact form for a free consultation.