Intersections have long been dangerous spots for motorists, and this trend is particularly pronounced in the Western United States. From 2004 through 2022, over 35,000 people lost their lives in intersection-related crashes across the Western states—an average of nearly 2,000 fatalities each year.
But which intersections are the deadliest? Where are drivers most at risk?
Sam Aguiar Injury Lawyers analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to find those answers. We examined every fatal crash from 2004 to 2022 to identify the intersections where the most fatal traffic collisions have occurred and to uncover patterns among them.
Key Findings:
- Nine of the ten deadliest intersections in the Western U.S. are located in either Arizona (5) or California (4). The other is found in Idaho.
- All five of the deadliest intersections in Arizona are found in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix and its surrounding areas.
- Fifty percent of fatal crashes occur at intersections controlled by stop signs, while only 6 percent occur at intersections with no traffic control devices.
- Nearly half of all fatal crashes occur at stop sign intersections, while only 6% occur at intersections with no control signals or sign
- Fatal intersection-related crashes increased by nearly 50 percent in the Western U.S. from 2004 to 2022
A Surge in Fatal Crashes in the Western United States
During the observation period, intersection-related fatal crashes increased in three out of four major U.S. regions. However, no region saw a sharper increase than the West. From 2004 to 2022, the total number of intersection-related crashes in the Western U.S. increased by 48 percent, with fatalities rising by 47 percent during the same period.
The 10 Deadliest Intersections in the Western U.S.
Below are the intersections where fatal crashes were most frequent during the observation period:
BROADWAY ROAD & SR 85 (OGLESBY RD)
Maricopa County, Arizona
Traffic Control Device: Stop Sign
Intersection Type: Four-Way Intersection
Fatal Crashes: 6
Fatalities: 7
59TH AVE & INDIAN SCHOOL RD
Maricopa County, Arizona
Traffic Control Device: Traffic Light
Intersection Type: Four-Way Intersection
Fatal Crashes: 5
Fatalities: 7
HAZEN RD & SR-85 (OGLESBY RD)
Maricopa County, Arizona
Traffic Control Device: Stop Sign
Intersection Type: Four-Way Intersection
Fatal Crashes: 5
Fatalities: 7
SR-152 & VOLTA RD
Merced County, California
Traffic Control Device: Stop Sign
Intersection Type: Four-Way Intersection
Fatal Crashes: 5
Fatalities: 6
MARICOPA RD & SR-347 (N JOHN WAYNE PKWY)
Maricopa County, Arizona
Traffic Control Device: None
Intersection Type: T-Intersection
Fatal Crashes: 5
Fatalities: 6
US-95 & NEZ PERCE RD
Nez Perce County, Idaho
Traffic Control Device: Stop Sign
Intersection Type: T-Intersection
Fatal Crashes: 5
Fatalities: 5
IMPERIAL HWY & DOWNEY AVE
Los Angeles County, California
Traffic Control Device: Traffic Light
Intersection Type: Four-Way Intersection
Fatal Crashes: 5
Fatalities: 5
CENTRAL AVE & 120TH ST
Los Angeles County, California
Traffic Control Device: Traffic Light
Intersection Type: Four-Way Intersection
Fatal Crashes: 5
Fatalities: 5
RIGGS RD & SR-347 (N JOHN WAYNE PKWY)
Maricopa County, Arizona
Traffic Control Device: Traffic Light
Intersection Type: Four-Way Intersection
Fatal Crashes: 5
Fatalities: 5
US-395 & GILL STATION COSO RD
Inyo County, California
Traffic Control Device: Stop Sign
Intersection Type: Four-Way Intersection
Fatal Crashes: 4
Fatalities: 7
Data and Methodology
This analysis was based on fatal crash data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the years 2004 through 2022. Only crashes flagged as “intersection-related” by the NHTSA were considered. The Western U.S. region, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.