Public safety officials should constantly be making an effort to protect the safety of residents as they get behind the wheel. By using information about the most dangerous intersections in the city, Phoenix traffic officials hope to minimize the number of car accidents and make the road safer for everyone.
In 2010, over 800 car accidents occurred on Phoenix area roads. Based on the information gathered from police reports, analysts have determined that accidents are most commonly fueled by "road infrastructure, surrounding land use, traffic volume and driver error."
Traffic engineers have pointed to changes that range from simple to complex to fix the problems. In some cases, tweaking traffic lights may be enough to improve the safety of dangerous intersections. More serious infrastructure adjustments may be in order for other roads.
It was determined that the intersection of Olive Avenue and 59th Avenue in Glendale is the most unsafe in the area. Unfortunately, local budget constraints have pushed city officials to seek federal funding for improvements.
No matter the cause of a car accident, the results can be tragic. The families of accident victims may feel the financial and emotional consequences many years beyond the actual incident. Fortunately, there are ways for those affected to find answers and try to recover what they've lost.
As this study demonstrates, injury-inducing auto accidents may not always be the fault negligent drivers; rather, transportation authorities who fail to maintain safe roads may also be found responsible. The process to file a personal injury claim with a public entity is slightly different than suing a private party, so it may be beneficial to determine your legal options when road safety is the cause of a serious car accident.
Source: The Arizona Republic, " Phoenix area crash data may lead to safer streets," Allie Seligman and Matt Dempsey, Nov. 7, 2012
- Our firm has the experience to help victims and their families sort through the complex details of a car accident and determine their legal options.