For a small city, Victoria BC has some busy roads. And with busy roads, especially during rush hour, comes car accidents. As well as car accidents, other road users like motorcyclists can become involved in accidents too. This is why it will benefit you into looking into the best motorcycle helmets of 2019, as it is a necessity for anyone riding a motorbike. Just like this is an essential feature, wearing a seat belt in cars is also the equivalent. Auto accidents can happen for a number of reasons, from a distracted driver to someone who might have a DUI, which is why it’s worth installing a dash cam from blackboxmycar.com so the footage can be recorded. If you might yourself in an accident and being charged for causing it, you may want to find someone like this philadelphia criminal lawyer helpful for finding out information that might help your case. However, depending on where you live, there are different lawyers for you to use.
ICBC has gathered data for how many accidents occurred at individual intersections in Greater Victoria between the years 2009 and 2013, and we’re going to look at the eight intersections with the most accidents, considering why they have been the worst.
1 – Hillside Avenue and Shelbourne Street: 312 accidents
This intersection was in at least the top two for each individual year of ICBC’s data. A lot is going on here, with the mall, two gas stations, and smaller businesses each at one corner. The right turning lane from Hillside coming from Camosun College onto Shelbourne can be a busy one, and the mall traffic combined with the students from the middle school up the road means that there are a lot of pedestrians, bikers, buses, and commuter cars trying to get home or to work or school. Considering this intersection can be one of the most prevalent for crashes at the moment if you’ve found yourself to be a victim of an accident due to the dangers of this intersection and the amount of traffic, and you believe it to be the other drivers fault, getting in touch with a local accident lawyer could be your best bet considering the notoriety of these roads.
2 – Burnside Road East and Douglas Street & turning lane: 250 accidents
Drivers have a lot to watch out for from all angles here. The abrupt end to the left lane going down Douglas towards Mayfair Mall leaves unfamiliar drivers in a tough place, and plus there’s that right turn from Burnside onto a busy Douglas Street to be cautious of, whether you are the one making the turn or potentially getting cut off.
3 – Douglas Street and Finlayson Street: 250 accidents
Tied for second worst, here’s another one near Mayfair Mall. With the mall and other businesses lining the roads, cars are coming in and out from every direction with many places to get to on a weekday morning or afternoon.
4 – Douglas Street and Gorge Road East: 237 accidents
This one also draws in a lot of traffic from various places. The traffic lanes seem to take much too long if you are unlucky enough to get stuck behind a red light, and if someone is not familiar with which lane goes where, a mess may occur for you and them. Being a pedestrian at this intersection can also be a pain, and not everyone is as patient as they should be.
5 – Blanshard Street and Hillside Avenue: 232 accidents
Here we have the drivers from the many lanes of Blanshard Street trying to turn either way onto Hillside. Drivers on Hillside may be trying to get further up for Camosun or UVic or elsewhere or to turn onto Blanshard to get on the Pat Bay Highway. Douglas isn’t the only main road to watch out for.
6 – Bay Street and Blanshard Street: 192 accidents
Another one on Blanshard can serve as a reminder that when drivers try to avoid Douglas Street, traffic congestion can build on nearby streets. This may be what is happening here, with drivers from Vic West choosing to continue driving up Bay Street instead of turning onto Douglas.
7 – Blanshard Street and Finlayson Street: 184 accidents
Mall traffic combined with drivers coming from the Pat Bay Highway makes this another busy, sometimes dangerous intersection. The speed of drivers coming off the Pat Bay could be an issue here.
8 – Hillside Avenue and Quadra Street: 158 accidents
Here it is important to consider shoppers coming from Quadra Village and the residential side of Quadra on the other side of Hillside, making this intersection full of drivers and their families just leaving their homes or wanting to get back to them after shopping, school, or work.
It is important to note that the areas with the most traffic congestion are changing in Victoria, especially with the growth of areas such as the Western Communities. So whether you are driving through any of these intersections or through the Colwood Crawl, make sure your car is in top shape. If you drive through the intersections with the most past accidents often, you should especially make sure your brakes are tuned and ready to go. Come to see us at Victoria Transmission & Auto Care so you are prepared for whatever these roads could bring.