This Is Where the Most Fatal Traffic Accidents Happen in New York

Depending on where you are in New York, driving can be an intense challenge.

Practically every New Yorker has a horror story or two about fighting through traffic near Albany or NYC. It doesn't help that a recent study found New Yorkers are some of the most road rage-prone drivers in the country.

Read More: New York's Drivers Among Most Confrontational in America

This means driving here puts you at increased risk of being cut off, honked at, or even run off the road. Sadly, this bad behavior has been linked to causing a fatal accident.

Each year, about 1,098 people die in motor vehicle traffic accidents, per data from the NY Department of Health.

Based on this alarming statistic a personal injury law firm called Injured in Florida looked into New York's fatal accidents to determine where the most crashes take place.

Based on state and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data, the law firm found that four-way intersections are the deadliest roads in the state.  These intersections account for 61.2% of all fatal crashes.

Of the 1,642 fatal crashes to take place between 2017 and 2021 in the state, 1,005 of them happened at four-way intersections. Not only that, the state reported an alarming 27,335 accidents happened at 4-way intersections.

These interactions can be especially deadly when there is no traffic light involved, as people can sometimes blow past the stop sign if they think they are the only people coming to the crossroads.

Then again, how often do we see people here in Central New York blow red lights at major four-way intersections, such as the Oriskany Blvd and Clinton Street crossing in Whitesboro?

Read More: Speeding Crackdown on 15 Roads, 1 in Central New York

The data also found the second-most fatal traffic area in New York was T-intersections, followed by Y-intersections.

Said a Injured in Florida spokesperson:

The study found that out of the 4,785 fatal crashes that occurred in New York over the five year period, 1,642 happened at some type of intersection, which is 34.3%. This data is a reminder to all road users of the importance of driving carefully at all times, but especially when approaching any type of crossroads or intersection.

That said, treat every four-way intersection in the state with increased caution because you are statistically more likely to get hurt.

Get our free mobile app