Most Dangerous Intersections for Accidents in Massachusetts

Accidents happen everywhere, but it seems like Massachusetts has more than its fair share of dangerous intersections. Our car accident lawyers have represented clients from all over the state who have suffered severe injuries due to intersection accidents.

Every neighborhood has a dangerous intersection or two, many of which have posted signs warning out-of-town visitors. Unfortunately, very few people pay attention to these warnings, often resulting in terrible accidents that could have been prevented.

One of the best resources for finding out about dangerous intersections is the Massachusetts Department of Transportation website. Our team of Massachusetts injury attorneys regularly utilize this website to investigate car accident spots in the state.

A March 2018 Top Crash Locations Report produced by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation provided an in-depth look at some of the more problematic locations in the state. In addition to calculating the number of collisions at a location, the study also provides detailed information about the severity of crashes. The report includes whether people were injured or killed, or if there was only property damage. As a result, the report shows the danger of an intersection, not just the total number of crashes.

Data about these intersections is regularly entered into MassDOT’s registry of motor vehicle crashes database, which is used to evaluate whether improvements need to be made to improve roadway safety. By clustering crashes together around specific intersections and applying weighted values based on the severity of the crash, the transportation agency can rank the most dangerous intersections in Massachusetts.

From the 2015 report, these ten intersections had the highest number of crashes.

• Southern Artery at Broad Street, Quincy
• Revere Beach Parkway at Fellsway, Medford
• Granite Street at Common Street, Braintree
• Main Street at Middle Street, Weymouth
• VFW Highway at Varnum Avenue, Lowell
• Sumner Avenue at Belmont Avenue, Springfield
• Appleton Street at Central Street, Lowell
• Market Street and Grand Army of the Republic Highway, Swansea
• Bridge Street at VFW Highway, Lowell
• Kelley Square and Water Street, Worcester

Interestingly, while most of these areas are close to the city, the most dangerous intersections in Massachusetts are outside of Boston proper. For example, Lowell is the town with the most dangerous intersections on this list. A quick look at the rest of MassDOT’s list reveals that Springfield, Worcester, and Swansea have several crash-prone intersections.

In Springfield, the intersection of St. James Ave. and Carew Street had 46 crashes, and in Swansea, the intersection of Grand Army of the Republic Highway and Swansea Mall Drive had 54 crashes.

Another dangerous intersection is Main St. and Hamilton St. in Leominster, which had 95 crashes, but most of these did not involve injuries.

Other Massachusetts intersections prone to car accidents include Messenger St. and Taunton St. in Plainville (102 total crashes), Pleasant St. and Plymouth Ave. in Fall River (89 total crashes), and Haverhill St. and Woodland St. in Methuen (97 crashes).

According to the MassDOT list, most of the dangerous intersections with the highest number of car accidents did not involve fatalities, but many drivers and passengers were injured.

There are five “danger zones” for Massachusetts commuters, focusing on the rush hour commute into Boston.

Thousands of accident reports found the worst location for commuters was Columbia Road at the Southeast Expressway in Dorchester.

In second place was the intersection of Route 128 and Middlesex Turnpike in Burlington. The third one on the list was in Milton at the junction of Granite Ave and the Expressway, primarily due to the number of illegal U-turns made by drivers entering the highway. Fourth on this list was the intersection of N. Washington St. where it connects with the Central Artery in Boston.

Most of the remaining intersections on their list were clustered around Route 128 and I-93, especially where these two highways connect in Woburn. Still, several areas in Worcester, Springfield, and the Merrimack Valley were found to have dangerous intersections as well.

While not topping the list on the number of accidents, a few intersections are known to be the deadliest accident sites in Massachusetts. These include I-93 at I-95 in Andover and the intersection of routes 3 and 18 in Weymouth.

How can a Massachusetts personal injury lawyer help get you compensated for injuries? Hiring a professional personal injury victim lawyer is necessary to ensure the victim of an auto accident receives full monetary compensation.

If you or a loved one has been injured at one of Massachusetts’ most dangerous intersections, the lawyers at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers are here to help. We will work with the insurance companies on your behalf. A car accident attorney will work tirelessly on your case to make sure all expenses are paid, including lost time from work, medical expenses, and all losses due to pain and suffering.