Some Colorado Springs Intersections Rank High in Crashes and Injuries
A traffic accident can happen anywhere. But certain intersections in Colorado Springs have large clusters of car and truck crashes, making the road crossings infamous among local drivers.
A near record 34 people died in crashes in Colorado Springs in 2016. The number of fatal traffic accidents prompted Colorado Springs police to analyze the pattern of crashes and identify the intersections where the most crashes occur. Do you know where they are?
Many of Colorado Springs most dangerous intersections are interchanges along Interstate 25. In fact, the top eight most crash-prone intersections were along the congested interstate corridor, as many regular I-25 drivers know from sitting in slow moving interstate traffic.
Police attribute the high number of crashes along I-25 interchanges to road construction.
Interstate construction zones often require drivers to make quick decision to merge, shift lanes, and adjust speeds. When distracted drivers fail to respond to sudden changes in traffic conditions, their inattention may cause fender benders or more serious crashes. Motorists travelling at different rates of speeds in construction zones cause many accidents.
The top eight intersections on the list of 25 include Cimarron, Tejon Street, Woodmen Road and Garden of the Gods Road. Police responded 158 times to accidents at I-25 and Cimarron Street in 2016, which place it at the top of the list of most dangerous intersection. If you live in Colorado Springs, you probably have to drive through some of these intersections regularly.
Many collisions at intersections are caused by drivers attempting to turn left and failing to yield to an oncoming vehicle. Nearly half of the traffic fatalities in El Paso County in 2016 occurred in intersection-related crashes.
The most common contributing factors to crashes are speeding, drivers not paying attention, and drunk driving.
As a result of the increase in intersection accident, the Colorado Springs Police Department is considering re-installing traffic enforcement cameras at some dangerous intersections to crack down on drivers who run red lights. That could happen as early as the second quarter of 2018, the Colorado Spring Independent reported. At a public forum in November, Colorado Springs Police Chief Pete Carey made a case for bringing back the photo enforcement cameras as a way to save lives and reduce visits to hospital emergency rooms.
The police department has been assigning extra officers to the areas where the most crashes occur.
Traffic fatalities were up nearly 24 percent across Colorado in the past two years.
If you have been seriously injured in a traffic accident caused by another driver at any dangerous intersection in Colorado Springs, our attorneys at The Wilhite Law Firm would like to hear from you. You may be entitled to seek compensation from the at-fault motorist’s insurance to cover your medical bills and other accident-related losses. We can review the details of your accident free of charge and discuss whether you have a valid injury claim. Contact a Colorado Springs accident attorney at The Wilhite Law Firm.
