In certain areas of Chicago, drivers face dangerous road conditions that increase their risk of traffic collisions with fatal consequences.
Chicago Driving Can Be Dangerous
Chicago is a busy city with thousands of drivers and heavy traffic every day. Unfortunately, this creates dangerous conditions that put drivers in danger. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), there were 319,000 car crashes in 2018, with 94,000 injuries and 1,000 fatalities.
Driving in Chicago can be dangerous due to heavy traffic, busy intersections, congested streets, building construction, and road repairs. Dangerous roads and highways in Chicago pose accident risks for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Chicago auto accident attorneys see a pattern of high accident rates in areas of the city with dangerous intersections.
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Stony Island Avenue at South Chicago Avenue
This intersection has countless accidents because it’s difficult to navigate safely. Stony Island Avenue has 6 lanes of traffic that meet 79th Avenue at a diagonal intersection that links to the Chicago Skyway. This is considered Chicago’s most dangerous intersection due to lane changes, traffic signals, and pedestrian traffic.
Kedzie Avenue at Belmont Avenue
Looking both ways at this intersection isn’t enough due to diagonal one-way roads on both sides of the underpass leading to Kennedy Expressway. To avoid vehicle accidents and injuries, drivers must watch 3 – 4 merging lanes of traffic and stoplights on either side of the underpass. Driver confusion causes many injuries for auto accident attorneys.
Western Avenue at Peterson Avenue
This intersection has a high rate of traffic collisions caused by distracted drivers. This area is home to a string of busy car dealerships that catch drivers’ attention as they pass by. Collisions often occur when vehicles slow down to peer at cars for sale, or vehicles pull into and out of parking lots.
Cicero Avenue and 127th Street
Multiple on-ramps and off-ramps make this Chicago intersection very dangerous. Drivers must navigate 6 lanes of traffic in one direction and 4 lanes in the other. To make things worse, cars also merge into traffic from nearby 294 at high speeds. Chicago auto accident lawyers see serious collisions here.
La Grange Road at I-80 Westbound Ramp
There are 2 right-turn lanes at this intersection, but only the far-right lane can be used to make a turn on a red light. When drivers realize they can’t turn from the left turn lane, they often swerve into the right lane, make an illegal turn, or rear-end another vehicle.