Grand Junction has grown in population over the last few years and with a growth in population comes a growth in traffic and traffic accidents. Some of the intersections in town are more prone to traffic accidents than others due to their location, their layout or due to user error. The City of Grand Junction has shared their traffic accident reports and we will look into what intersections are more accident prone to others and why.

The City of Grand Junction’s Planning Department makes a report that shows the number of traffic accidents that have been reported at each intersection in town. They also provided information that shows how much traffic is going through that particular intersection. The report goes on to show the accident to traffic ratio. Based off this report the City of Grand Junction’s Planning Department can make administrative decisions on what needs to be done at a particular intersection or find ways to make that intersection safer. They can also strategically place lights, stop signs or detours to deter the amount of traffic that goes to a particular intersection.

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I was surprised to see that some of the intersections in town had more traffic accidents than others, and they weren’t the intersections I originally thought of.  For instance, in 2012 the intersection with the most traffic accidents was 2nd and North Avenue and 12th and North Avenue. The accident to traffic ratio for 2nd and North Avenue is 1.62 which means for every 1,000 cars there is at least 1.62 accidents. For 12th and North Avenue the accident to traffic ratio is .71. Even though both intersections have 15 accidents reported for 2012, 12th and North Avenue has over 30,000 more vehicles passing through it than 2nd and North Avenue. Coming in at third place in accidents is 7th and North Avenue and 29 Rd. and North, who each have 14 accidents reported in 2012. The accident to traffic ratio for the 7th and North Avenue intersection is much lower than 29 Rd. and North Avenue intersection because of the heavy amount of traffic that North Avenue gets.

2nd and North Avenue wouldn’t normally be seen as a accident prone intersection. The fact of the matter is that it is really 1st and North that causes the accidents not 2nd. As you pass 1st street on North Avenue, traffic merges into one lane. Traffic usually piles up into the right lane near 2nd and North so drivers can be in the right lane and not have to merge later down the road. So the accidents reported on 2nd and North Avenue are actually accidents caused by the 1st and North Avenue intersection.

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The report summary provided by the City of Grand Junction’s Planning Department shows what time of day accidents occurred, what day of the week, what age the driver involved was and the road conditions. The report shows that more accidents happen on Fridays than any other day of the week. The time of day that accidents happen more often is no surprise, during rush hour from 3-6 p.m. Accidents happen more often in the month of December than any other month, with March coming in right behind December. Automatically you think December because of snowy road conditions. Actually, more accidents happen during dry road conditions than any other and when the weather is clear. Mainly because there are more days in the year with clear, dry road conditions than with snowy, wet conditions. Rain is the second most condition that accidents occur on with snowy conditions coming in right behind that.

To conclude the above, you would be more likely to get in an accident in December on a Friday between 3 and 6 p.m when the road conditions are dry and the skies are clear and if you are driving on North Avenue between 29 Rd. and 1st. Also keep in mind that the research only shows accidents on city streets, accidents reported and accidents with more than $1,000 in damage.

Based off of that information, I need your opinion. If you look at intersection confusion, backed up traffic and traffic accidents, which intersection in Grand Junction do you think is the worst?

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