We love Atlanta, but every Atlantan knows we’re one of the rougher cities when it comes to traffic (source) and traffic accidents (source). But that doesn’t mean every intersection is created equal. In fact, not long ago an investigator from Channel 2 Action News pulled some numbers, and it turns out that a small number of intersections stand head and shoulders above the rest as the most dangerous in Atlanta.
These intersections lead the list—out of a total of 615 intersections with high accident rates—as Atlanta’s biggest accident traps. All of them have a dozen or more accidents per month, and some have almost twice that. Ready?
10 Most Dangerous Intersections in Atlanta
- Memorial Drive and N Road (Stone Mountain) — 22 accidents in one month!
- East Park Place and Stone Mountain Highway (Stone Mountain) — 20 accidents
- Covington Highway and Lithonia Road (Lithonia) — 19 accidents
- Cobb Place Blvd. and Earnest Barrett Parkway (Kennesaw) — 18 accidents
- Jimmy Carter Blvd. and Peachtree Industrial Blvd. (Norcross) — 17 accidents
- State Bridge Road and Medlock Bridge Road (Johns Creek) — 15 accidents
- Steve Reynolds Blvd. and Venture Drive (Duluth) — 13 accidents
- Butner Road and Camp Creek Parkway (Atlanta) — 13 accidents
- Briarcliff Road and North Druid Hills Road (Atlanta) — 13 accidents
- Piedmont Ave and Monroe Drive (Atlanta) — 12 accidents
Channel 2/WSB-TV pulled these numbers from local traffic data sources. The other 600+ intersections in their data set all had 2 or more accidents a week, but these 10 were the leaders.
What makes these 10 intersections so dangerous?
It’s not random chance that makes these intersections the worst. If you know Atlanta at all, a few things stand out about that list:
- Odd angles. First off, drop any of those into Google Maps and you’ll see that most of them (with a few exceptions) are not straight-on, 90-degree intersections. Instead, many have roads that come together at odd angles. This makes it harder for drivers to see traffic coming from other directions, and can be confusing for drivers new to the area. That’s a double-whammy for accident risk.
- Suburbs and beyond. Next, most of them aren’t in the City of Atlanta proper, even many that are listed as “Atlanta.” They’re all metro area, but many are farther out. So what’s wrong with people out in the county? Well, nothing, except that suburban and semi-rural areas tend to feature a lot more open-road driving with less stops. That gives people plenty of time to zone out or get distracted, even with an intersection coming up.
- Mixed and matched. The other thing that exurban areas have is a mix of higher-speed highways and normal streets. #8 on the list, Butner Road and Camp Creek Parkway, is a great example: little two-lane Butner Road meanders up on a gentle tree-lined curve and then, wham, it crosses high-speed, 4-lane Camp Creek. There’s a traffic light, but it’s a fair bet that many of those 13 accidents a month involve someone thinking they have time to make a right turn when they really don’t.
Of course, these are far from the only causes of accidents. And Channel 2’s data only looked at surface streets. You can be sure that Atlanta’s freeway accidents are plenty dangerous too, and one of the biggest sources of traffic fatalities. But, if your daily commute happens to take you through one of these 10 intersections—or any intersection with similar characteristics—it might be time to plan a new route.
Have you been in an accident?
One thing is for sure: if you’ve been in an accident, it doesn’t matter to you whether it was one of Atlanta’s most notorious intersections or not. Instead, you need three things: good medical care, a smart lawyer, and enough insurance money to get through your injury. We can help. Our legal team gives you a FREE consultation and helps you get the money you deserve—with over 20 years of experience behind us. Don’t settle for less money than you deserve, and don’t risk talking to the insurer without a lawyer on your side. Call us at (404) 341-6555 or fill out the form to the right to get your free consultation today.
