It can get pretty dangerous out there on the open road. Even the most cautious drivers will probably find themselves in a fender-bender at some point in their driving career. With that in mind, the Insider asked the Concord Police Department, as well as city hall traffic engineer and stats guru Robert Mack, to compile us a list of Concord's top ten most dangerous intersections. And here it is in map form! It may be pretty, but try to resist the urge to look at it while driving.
According to Lt. Gregory Taylor of the Concord Police Department's Planning and Analysis unit, Concord Police responded to over 1,200 “reportable” accidents (crashes resulting in injury or damage of over $1,000) in 2010, as well as many more accidents that were not reportable.
Astute readers will probably notice that more than a few of the dangerous intersections, including last year's leader in crashes (Loudon Road/Fort Eddy Road, with 18) are located on Loudon Road. Mack said the explanation was simple enough; more cars mean more accidents.
“The Loudon Road corridor services some of the heaviest traffic flows in the city and experiences about one-quarter of the city's reported crashes each year,” Mack told us.
According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, driver error is the contributing factor in the majority of reported crashes. Mack said that that statistic holds true in Concord as well.
“Many of the crashes in Concord are a result of careless or inattentive actions of drivers, bicyclists or pedestrians,” Mack said. “Examples are texting or manipulating cell phones while driving, trying to beat the yellow light, tailgating, speeding, tuning the radio, carelessly weaving between lanes to speed around other vehicles, walking into the street without looking to see if traffic is stopping, riding bicycles against traffic flow, or fumbling with a cup of coffee, to name a few. Don't do these things while traveling, and be aware of others nearby that might, especially in busy or constrained areas where the loss of one second of reaction time can mean the difference between a crash and an uneventful trip to the store.”
Mack says the city is constantly working on ways to improve traffic flow through these highrisk areas, such as improved crosswalks, more frequent lane markings, and even the possibility of constructing new routes running parallel with high-traffic areas like Loudon Road. He also cited the installation of roundabouts at intersections like North State Street and Franklin Street as factors in significantly reducing crashes at those locations.
We asked Taylor to weigh in on these dangerous intersections and to give us some tips to keep our readers safe on the road. Here's what he had to say.
“The locations noted for having a large number of accidents tend to be very busy intersections where there is a high volume of vehicle traffic as well as other activities in the area,” Taylor told us. “This includes shopping areas, downtown areas, highways, multiple traffic lights and intersections, etc.”
“All drivers need to exercise caution and minimize distractions while driving,” Taylor said. “Many of these accidents could have been avoided,” Taylor said, “by eliminating distractions and remaining focused on the task at hand, driving. In addition, some accidents could have been avoided by driving in a manner consistent with the conditions existing at the time, such as snow, ice, rain, fog, et cetera. Sub-par road conditions require greater stopping distances and slower turning. Reduced visibility also affects the ability of drivers to react to sudden events. Drivers need to take these environmental factors into account.”
