Most Dangerous Roads and Intersections in Atlanta, GA
Drivers in Georgia experienced 384,527 traffic crashes in 2022, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) Crash Portal. By far, the most common location for these crashes was Atlanta. As the state’s capital and most populous city, it makes up about 5% of the state’s residents and 9% of its traffic accidents.
Car accidents in Atlanta tend to cluster on a few roads and intersections. These crash hotspots form where road design and traffic conditions amplify the effects of risky driving behaviors. Traveling these roads and intersections can pose a danger even if you drive carefully.
For Atlanta drivers, learning more about these dangerous roads and intersections and how accidents tend to happen on them is crucial.
Why Do Crash Hotspots Form?
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted a comprehensive analysis to identify the critical factors that lead to traffic crashes. The agency found that 94% of traffic accidents result from driver factors, while environmental and vehicle factors played only a small role in crashes.
Based on this information, you might expect crashes to have no relation to location. In other words, driver mistakes can happen anywhere, so crashes should happen everywhere. While statistical outliers can happen, most crashes occur in only a few locations. These clusters form for two primary reasons.
First, certain factors might cause drivers to drive dangerously. Fast speed limits, particularly on downhill slopes, can lead to speeding. Heavy traffic congestion encourages tailgating. Blind corners can cause collisions due to inadequate surveillance. Thus, some crashes happen because location-based features increase the likelihood of the behaviors that cause them.
Second, certain features amplify the effects of bad driving. For example, you will not cause a rear-end crash, even if you often text while driving, when you only drive on empty roads. On the other hand, texting while driving on a crowded highway risks a collision every time traffic slows. In other words, some roads are less forgiving of driving errors, creating a pattern of crashes.
Crash Hotspots in Atlanta, Georgia
Using the mapping function of the GDOT crash portal, you can find several crash hotspots. The crash portal also allows you to filter according to whether a crash was identified by investigators as intersection-related. Using these data tools, you can identify the most dangerous roads and intersections in Atlanta.
Most Dangerous Roads in Atlanta
Slightly over 56% of traffic accidents in Atlanta happen on freeways or between intersections. These road crashes usually involve a multi-vehicle collision. Road accidents also include single-vehicle accidents in which a vehicle runs off the road, hits a fixed object, or rolls over. Specifically, the crash portal reports the following mid-road crash types in Atlanta for 2022:
- 92.8% involved a multi-vehicle collision
- 7.1% involved a collision with a fixed object, including parked cars
- 0.1% happened when a driver ran off the road
- 0.05% involved a rollover
Keep in mind that these numbers only include accidents within the city limits and not accidents that occurred in the broader metro area.
For multi-vehicle collisions, the crash types break down as follows:
- 40% rear-end collisions
- 27% sideswipe collisions
- 21% angle collisions
- 3% rebound collisions where a driver hit an object like a guardrail, then hit a vehicle
- 2% head-on collisions
Investigators were unable to determine how the remaining road crashes happened.
Locations where these crashes occurred included some of the city’s busiest roads. These roads have two characteristics. First, they might see heavy traffic all day. Second, in an attempt to alleviate congestion, policymakers might increase the speed limit, expand the road by eliminating the shoulder, or reduce police enforcement. Both factors can increase crash risk.
The following locations had multiple injury or fatal crashes in 2022:
- I-75/I-85
- I-20
- I-285
- US-29
- US-78/Donald Lee Hollowell Pkwy. NW
- US-41/Northside Dr. NW
- GA-400/T. Harvey Mathis Pkwy.
- Cleveland Ave. SW
- Moreland Ave. SE
- Marietta Blvd. NW
- Chattahoochee Ave. NW
- Howell Mill Rd.
- Joseph E. Lowery Blvd.
- Metropolitan Pkwy. SW
- Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SW
Bicycle accidents can also happen between intersections. These collisions often happen when drivers crowd cyclists while overtaking them. Some dangerous roads for cyclists in 2022 included 10th St. NW and Fletcher St. SW.
Most Dangerous Intersections in Atlanta
Intersection collisions happen when drivers fail to yield to a vehicle with the right of way. As a result, both vehicles end up in the intersection at the same time. The following scenarios produce many of Atlanta’s intersection crashes:
- Disobeying a stop sign or traffic light
- Turning left across the path of an oncoming vehicle
- Turning right into traffic without waiting for a gap
- Proceeding through a stop sign out of turn
These crashes often have root causes that relate to the location of the intersection.
Some possible underlying reasons for intersection accidents include the following:
- Driver inexperience or impatience
- Poorly timed lights
- Confusing intersections
- Inadequate controls for the volume of traffic, such as a stop sign instead of a traffic light
Rear-end collisions are the most common intersection crash. For example, a vehicle might get rear-ended if the driver behind it mistakenly assumed the vehicle would go through the intersection. The second most common form of intersection crash is an angle collision. This type of collision usually happens when one vehicle turns and the other goes straight.
Some intersections where Atlanta drivers had multiple crashes in 2022 include:
- Lee St. SW and Park St. SW
- I-20 ramps at Joseph E. Lowery Blvd.
- US-29/Chapel St. SW and Northside Dr. SW
- GA-154/Memorial Dr. SW and Hank Aaron Dr.
- Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd. and Williams St. NW
- Ellis St. NE and Courtland St. NE
- US-19/US-29/Northside Dr. NW and Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SW
Pedestrian crashes also cluster around intersections, particularly when they lack adequate crosswalks or pedestrian bridges. One of the more dangerous intersections for pedestrians is the confusing intersection where Peachtree St., Edgewood Ave. SE, Decatur St. SE, and Marietta St. NW meet.
Navigating Atlanta’s Dangerous Roads
You can drive, walk, and bike safely in Atlanta, even on its most dangerous roads. Put away your phone, and pay attention to the traffic. Try to avoid congested areas during rush hour. Finally, use appropriate safety equipment, including seat belts, motorcycle helmets, and bicycle helmets. These tips can help both commuters and visitors navigate Atlanta safely.