Statistics of intersection accidents

Even when the light is green, driving through an intersection has inherent risks. As distracted driving has become more and more of an issue with the advent of cellphones, text messages, and dashboard computer consoles, it’s become more common for drivers to fail to notice a changing light or stop sign and crash into the side of another vehicle that had the right of way.

Florida Statistics for Intersection Crashes

In 2018, Florida had 317,955 accidents that were classified as being at an intersection. Of those, 95,979 resulted in injuries or fatalities. That’s a 30% rate of injury, making intersection accidents among the most dangerous types of vehicle crashes there are.

Most Dangerous Intersections in Florida

It may come as no surprise to you that the most dangerous intersection in the state of Florida is in Miami-Dade County. As the most populous county in the state, it stands to reason that there will be more accidents. In case you’re in that area, you may want to steer clear of the intersection of Hialeah Gardens Boulevard and Okeechobee Road in Hialeah Gardens, but that is by no means the only dangerous intersection in the state. I-4, which runs through Orlando, has been named the most dangerous interstate in the entire country based on the density of fatalities. Not surprisingly, there are a number of intersections in and around Orlando that are considered to be extremely dangerous.

MetroPlan Orlando lists the following dangerous intersections:

Sand Lake Road and John Young Parkway
Silver Star and Pine Hills Road
Pine Hils Road and Indian Hills Road
Texas Avenue and Oak Ridge Road
Oak Ridge Road and John Young Parkway
Americana Boulevard at Conroy Road
John Young Parkway and Central Florida Parkway

This is by no means a comprehensive list of the dangerous intersections in the state, but if you drive any of these roads on a regular basis, you’ve probably seen more than a few car accidents.

Types of Intersection Accidents

While nearly any sort of accident can happen at an intersection, some crash types are more prevalent than others.

T-bone Collision: This occurs when the front of one car impacts the side of another. Side-impact crashes like this are particularly dangerous for any occupant on the side of impact. Most vehicles manufactured in recent years are equipped with side-impact airbags to help minimize injuries.

Rear-End Collision: These occur when a vehicle suddenly stops or slows either before or in the intersection and the car behind them impacts it from behind. This is a frequent source of whiplash injuries. Rear-end collisions can occur anywhere and are one of the most common accident types on the road.

Angle Collision: Two cars can impact any number of ways, and angle collisions are the catchall name for accidents that aren’t head-on, rear-end, or T-bone.

Head-on Collision: These are rare accidents in intersections, but not unheard of. This usually results where someone violates the right of way and fails to maintain their lane. Because of the high speeds involved, they are particularly dangerous.