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Most Dangerous Intersections in California [NEW STUDY]

November 3, 2016

Dangerous Intersections of California

*As part of our commitment to consumer safety, the San Diego car accident attorneys at Estey & Bomberger present the first in our data-driven study series: Safety through Numbers.  Each month, with the help of data visualization firm 1point21 interactive, we will take a look at a whole host of consumer safety issues to find out where danger lurks for Californians.  Our first study examines dangerous intersections throughout the state. 

What are the most dangerous intersections in California? Where are they located?

Together with data visualization company 1point21 Interactive, we analyzed over 435,000 collision records to find out which intersections in California are the most dangerous. In our effort, we examined every motor vehicle crash recorded by the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) in 2015.  Taking total crashes, injuries and fatalities into account, we identified and ranked all intersections with 10 or more accidents.  Based on this 2015 crash data, here are the most dangerous intersections in California:

Rankings

Rank City Road 1 Road 2 Crashes Deaths Injuries Score
#1 LOS ANGELES DEVONSHIRE ST RESEDA BL 24 0 41 147
#2 LOS ANGELES IMPERIAL HWY VISTA DEL MAR 26 0 39 143
#3 LOS ANGELES BALBOA BL NORDHOFF ST 26 0 37 137
#4 DOWNEY FIRESTONE BL LAKEWOOD BL 36 0 32 132
#5 LOS ANGELES LINDLEY AV ROSCOE BL 16 2 31 129
#6 LOS ANGELES ROSCOE BL WINNETKA AV 25 1 31 128
#7 LOS ANGELES ROSCOE BL VAN NUYS BL 30 0 32 126
#8 LOS ANGELES RESEDA BL ROSCOE BL 23 0 33 122
#9 LOS ANGELES SHERMAN WY WOODMAN AV 23 0 32 119
#10 MORENO VALLEY BRIDGE ST GILMAN SPRINGS RD 24 3 21 117
#11 LOS ANGELES VAN NUYS BL VICTORY BL 23 0 30 113
#12 RIVERSIDE MAGNOLIA AV TYLER ST 24 1 26 112
#13 LOS ANGELES LENNOX AV ROSCOE BL 17 1 28 111
#14 LOS ANGELES VICTORY BL WOODLEY AV 18 0 30 108
#15 LOS ANGELES SAINT ANDREWS PL VENICE BL 14 0 31 107
#16 LOS ANGELES DE SOTO AV SATICOY ST 19 1 25 104
#17 LOS ANGELES RESEDA BL VICTORY BL 22 0 27 103
#18 LOS ANGELES OXNARD ST VAN NUYS BL 19 0 28 103
#19 LOS ANGELES LA CIENEGA BL PICO BL 24 0 26 102
#20 LOS ANGELES ALVARADO ST TEMPLE ST 21 0 27 102
#21 LOS ANGELES BALBOA BL DEVONSHIRE ST 20 0 27 101
#22 BELL FLORENCE AV WALKER AV 19 1 24 101
#23 LOS ANGELES KESTER AV VANOWEN ST 17 0 28 101
#24 PALA PALA MISSION RD PALA TEMECULA RD 34 0 22 100
#25 LOS ANGELES NORDHOFF ST SEPULVEDA BL 27 1 21 100
#26 LOS ANGELES MAIN ST MANCHESTER AV 19 0 27 100
#27 LOS ANGELES CENTRAL AV VERNON AV 24 0 25 99
#28 TEMECULA WINCHESTER RD YNEZ RD 23 0 25 98
#29 LAKESIDE OLD BARONA RD WILDCAT CANYON RD 17 2 20 97
#30 RIALTO BASELINE RD RIVERSIDE AV 16 0 27 97
#31 LOS ANGELES FIGUEROA ST MANCHESTER AV 24 0 24 96
#32 LOS ANGELES BALBOA BL SATICOY ST 21 0 25 96
#33 LOS ANGELES LA BREA AV RODEO RD 20 0 25 95
#34 LOS ANGELES CRENSHAW BL WASHINGTON BL 27 1 19 94
#35 LOS ANGELES 3RD ST FAIRFAX AV 22 0 24 94
#36 LOS ANGELES FLORENCE AV VERMONT AV 16 0 26 94
#37 LOS ANGELES 190TH ST VERMONT AV 21 0 24 93
#38 WESTMINSTER BOLSA AV BROOKHURST ST 20 1 21 93
#39 LOS ANGELES BEVERLY BL VERMONT AV 18 0 25 93
#40 LOS ANGELES NORDHOFF ST RESEDA BL 18 0 25 93
#41 LOS ANGELES NORMANDIE AV SLAUSON AV 13 2 20 93
#42 LANCASTER CHALLENGER WY LANCASTER BL 12 0 27 93
#43 LOS ANGELES BALBOA BL BURBANK BL 23 0 23 92
#44 FULLERTON EUCLID ST ORANGETHORPE AV 25 0 22 91
#45 ELK GROVE CALVINE RD ELK GROVE FLORIN RD 19 0 24 91
#46 LOS ANGELES VICTORY BL WINNETKA AV 16 0 25 91
#47 SACRAMENTO LOS ROBLES BL MARYSVILLE BL 15 1 22 91
#48 FAIRFIELD AIR BASE PKWY CLAY BANK RD 20 1 20 90
#49 LOS ANGELES CENTRAL AV EL SEGUNDO BL 19 2 17 90
#50 PALMDALE PEARBLOSSOM HWY SIERRA HWY 18 3 14 90
#51 SANTA ANA BRISTOL ST WARNER AV 17 0 24 89
#52 LOS ANGELES MELROSE AV VERMONT AV 14 0 25 89
#53 LOS ANGELES WESTHOLME AV WILSHIRE BL 11 0 26 89
#54 SANTA CLARITA SIERRA HWY SOLEDAD CANYON RD 40 0 16 88
#55 REDWOOD CITY MIDDLEFIELD RD WOODSIDE RD 25 0 21 88
#56 LOS ANGELES NORDHOFF ST VAN NUYS BL 18 0 23 87
#57 PARAMOUNT GARFIELD AV ROSECRANS AV 44 0 14 86
#58 LOS ANGELES SLAUSON AV WESTERN AV 29 0 19 86
#59 LOS ANGELES FLORENCE AV WESTERN AV 23 0 21 86
#60 SIMI VALLEY COCHRAN ST ERRINGER RD 20 0 22 86
#61 CARSON 213TH ST AVALON BL 22 0 21 85
#62 PALMDALE RANCHO VISTA BL SIERRA HWY 22 0 21 85
#63 LOS ANGELES BROADWAY FLORENCE AV 19 0 22 85
#64 LOS ANGELES SUNSET BL WESTERN AV 19 0 22 85
#65 LOS ANGELES FLORENCE AV NORMANDIE AV 21 0 21 84
#66 LOS ANGELES BRAND BL LAUREL CANYON BL 12 0 24 84
#67 LOS ANGELES CORBIN AV SATICOY ST 12 0 24 84
#68 LOS ANGELES 3RD ST VERMONT AV 23 0 20 83
#69 SAN JACINTO RAMONA EXPWY SANDERSON AV 23 0 20 83
#70 FULLERTON HARBOR BL ORANGETHORPE AV 20 0 21 83
#71 DOWNEY FLORENCE AV LAKEWOOD BL 17 0 22 83
#72 SACRAMENTO 28TH ST FRUITRIDGE RD 14 0 23 83
#73 UPLAND 16TH ST CAMPUS AV 14 0 23 83
#74 UPLAND FOOTHILL BL SAN ANTONIO AV 14 0 23 83
#75 LOS ANGELES BALBOA BL ROSCOE BL 19 0 21 82
#76 LOS ANGELES ROSCOE BL TAMPA AV 19 0 21 82
#77 DOWNEY FLORENCE AV OLD RIVER SCHOOL RD 16 0 22 82
#78 LOS ANGELES 8TH ST HOOVER ST 16 0 22 82
#79 LOS ANGELES ADAMS BL LA BREA AV 16 0 22 82
#80 LOS ANGELES COLDWATER CANYON AV SHERMAN WY 13 0 23 82
#81 CHINO EUCLID AV PINE AV 24 0 19 81
#82 HESPERIA COTTONWOOD AV MAIN ST 21 0 20 81
#83 LOS ANGELES BALBOA BL RINALDI ST 18 0 21 81
#84 LOS ANGELES CRENSHAW BL PICO BL 18 0 21 81
#85 LOS ANGELES HAZELTINE AV RIVERSIDE DR 15 0 22 81
#86 SACRAMENTO JESSIE AV NORWOOD AV 15 0 22 81
#87 LOS ANGELES HASKELL AV ROSCOE BL 12 3 13 81
#88 LOS ANGELES HOOVER ST MANCHESTER AV 12 0 23 81
#89 LOS ANGELES VICTORY BL WOODMAN AV 20 0 20 80
#90 LOS ANGELES CANOGA AV VANOWEN ST 14 0 22 80
#91 LOS ANGELES MANCHESTER AV NORMANDIE AV 14 0 22 80
#92 LOS ANGELES ETHEL AV VICTORY BL 11 0 23 80
#93 LOS ANGELES FAIRFAX AV OLYMPIC BL 16 0 21 79
#94 NORWALK IMPERIAL HWY JERSEY AV 30 0 16 78
#95 LOS ANGELES VENICE BL WESTERN AV 18 0 20 78
#96 HEMET FLORIDA AV KIRBY ST 15 0 21 78
#97 LOS ANGELES CORBIN AV VICTORY BL 15 0 21 78
#98 LOS ANGELES LINDLEY AV VICTORY BL 15 0 21 78
#99 LOS ANGELES CHATSWORTH ST RESEDA BL 12 0 22 78
#100 LOS ANGELES IMPERIAL HWY WESTERN AV 20 0 19 77

*Intersections with higher scores are more dangerous than those with lower scores. For more information on the scoring system, see our methodology below.

Interactive Map

Zoom in on any area of the map. Larger circles represent a more dangerous intersection. Hover over any circle to see the cross streets and the danger score of that intersection.

Key Findings

  • In 2015, there were 7,294 crashes, 7,478 injuries and 57 fatalities at the 444 intersections in our study.
  • The average danger score of a dangerous intersection was 68.24
  • The average number of accidents per dangerous intersection was 16.43 
  • The average number of injuries per dangerous intersection was 16.84
  • The average number of deaths per dangerous intersection was 0.128
  • The intersection of Devonshire Street and Reseda Boulevard is the most dangerous intersection in California, followed closely by Imperial Highway and Vista Del Mar then Balboa Avenue and Nordhoff Street.
  • In a state with over 76,000 miles of city streets and another 65,000 miles of county roads, two of the three most dangerous intersections – Devonshire Street and Reseda Boulevard (#1) and Balboa Avenue and Nordhoff Street (#3) -are located in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, just 3.4 miles apart.
  • Devonshire and Reseda was the site of the most injuries (41) while Garfield Avenue and Rosecrans Avenue had the highest volume of crashes (44).
  • Southern California dominates the study.  In fact, only 47 of the intersections in our study (10.5 percent) are located anywhere outside of southern California.
  • City-wise, it’s Los Angeles, then everyone else. 221 of the 444 intersections are on Los Angeles streets.

 

Distribution of Dangerous Intersections

mostdangerousbycity444
It comes as no surprise that Los Angeles led the way in terms of accident volume, injuries and the number of dangerous intersections. What is surprising, however, is by how much it led the way.  Almost half of the intersections in our study (221 of 444) are located within the city of Los Angeles boundaries.  What’s more, 8 of the 10 most dangerous intersections and 17 of the top 20, are also found in L.A. The chart below plots all the dangerous intersections identified in our study. Purple dots (representing an intersection in the city of Los Angeles) dominate the data visualization below.
Most Dangerous Intersections Scatterplot
Los Angeles has 17 times as many intersections from our list than the number two city on the the list, Sacramento.  While the Los Angeles metropolitan area is the most densely populated urban area in the United States (classified as Los Angeles – Long Beach – Anaheim by the U.S. Census), six other areas in California are among the top ten.

Why We Did This

Safety on our roads is the responsibility of those using the roads, but also on those that design and maintain our roads. This study identifies trends and dangers that our local government and community can use in improving safety and lowering the risks of serious injury. Proactively approaching the threats of dangerous intersections can save lives — that is what we hoped to accomplish with this study.

Methodology

We parsed over 435,000 collision records for 2015, separating all accidents that occurred at intersections. We then assigned values to each accident, injury and fatality at each intersection to calculate a score to rate the danger of the intersection.

Formula: Accident (x1) + Injury (x3) + Fatality (x10) = Overall Score

Collision data obtained from SWITRS (a multi-agency database maintained by the California Highway Patrol).

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