The Most Dangerous Intersections in Cincinnati

Posted in Car Accident on July 23, 2020

At Elk & Elk, we recently conducted a study on intersection-related motor vehicle collisions in the state of Ohio. After breaking down the most dangerous intersections in the entire state, we decided to drill down deeper and identify the most dangerous intersections in the largest cities in the state.

As the third most populous city in Ohio, Cincinnati was part of our analysis. Our Cincinnati car accident lawyers parsed six years of crash data to identify the most dangerous areas for drivers in Cincinnati.

In total, the top 25 most dangerous intersections in Cincinnati accounted for 269 crashes, 216 minor to moderate injuries, 37 serious injuries, and 6 fatalities.

Cincinnati in Relation to Other Ohio Cities

According to our statewide analysis, Cincinnati intersections appear to be much safer overall than those in other major Ohio cities. In fact, not a single Cincinnati intersection made our top-50 dangerous intersections list. In fact, Cincinnati’s most dangerous intersection has a Danger Index score approximately 25 points lower than the 50^th ranked intersection from our statewide study.

It is worth noting that this study only takes into account crashes that occur at or near intersections – and only crashes that result in injury or death. Even still, there are a number of relatively high crash intersections in the city.

The 25 Most Dangerous Intersections in Cincinnati, Ohio

For more information on data sources, please see our statewide analysis and interactive map: The Most Dangerous Intersections in Ohio

The most dangerous intersection in Cincinnati is located on Gilbert Avenue & Victory Parkway. This intersection is especially dangerous due to the high number of injuries that occur here: 10 total crashes led to 25 minor/moderate injuries.

Located in the Evanston neighborhood, this intersection does not seem particularly dangerous at first glance. It does appear to be a crossing of two arterial roads – major throughways with wide lanes and high speeds that can significantly increase the chances of a serious accident. In addition, this intersection is adjacent to Walnut Hills High School – which may indicate a large number of novice teen drivers that may commute through that intersection.

Other notable intersections include:

• Queen City Avenue & Harrison Avenue – 14 total crashes, 13 minor/moderate injuries, 1 serious injury, 1 fatality: Ranked second, this intersection seemingly has no red flags or major safety issues that immediately become apparent. It may be worth further investigation to determine why exactly this intersection has so many injury crashes.
• Mitchell Avenue & Kessler Avenue – 16 total crashes, 10 minor/moderate injuries, 2 serious injuries: The 4^th most dangerous intersection in Cincinnati, this intersection had more total crashes than the top ranked intersection. This is an intersection of a wide major six-lane road with a median (Mitchell) and an incredibly narrow two-lane road (Kessler). Attempting to make a left or right turn onto Mitchell from this road can be incredibly difficult and dangerous, especially as there is no signal or stop signage on Mitchell to improve safety of vehicles crossing and/or turning onto the major road.
• North Bend Road & Argus Road – 3 total crashes, 4 serious injuries, 3 fatalities: This road was ranked fifth overall despite only having 3 total crashes – primarily due to the severity of these crashes. This intersection is perhaps most notable for its quantity of fatalities: in our findings, this intersection not only had the highest fatalities in Cincinnati.

High Collision Zones in Cincinnati

While the crash risk at any one particular intersection is relatively low in Cincinnati, we found zones within the city where a high volume of intersection related collisions occur within close proximity of one another.

In fact, the most dangerous zone in Cincinnati had more than twice as many crashes and injuries than any other zone we identified in the state (and three times as many total crashes as Columbus’ most dangerous zone, and more than three times the minor/moderate and serious injuries).

Wide and dense, the most dangerous zone in Cincinnati sprawls throughout downtown, accounting for 752 total crashes, 381 minor/moderate injuries, 56 serious injuries, and 3 fatalities. No other zone in another Ohio city comes close to this large cluster.

A bustling downtown area, this zone is perpetually busy, home to a major business district by day and an active bar scene by night. This, combined with the neighborhood being an epicenter for professional sports in the city, are major contributors to the sheer quantity of accidents occurring here.

Other notable zones include:

• A series of zones entwined into the University of Cincinnati Campus: the Corryville zone (ranked second, 366 total crashes, 185 minor/moderate injuries, 30 serious injuries, 3 fatalities) and the University of Cincinnati zone (ranked 4^th, 238 total crashes, 109 minor/moderate, 9 serious, 1 fatality)
• The Price Hill Zone ranked third with 248 crashes, 125 minor/moderate injuries, 24 serious injuries, and 1 fatality. This zone contains Glenway Avenue, a major road that has led to several serious accidents throughout the years. Despite this being an incredibly busy road, there is a distinct lack of major signage – including signals, crosswalks, or even basic signs indicating cautious intersections.
• The Spring Grove Zone, the fifth most dangerous zone with 156 crashes, 87 minor/moderate injuries, 7 serious injuries, and no fatalities. This zone is located next to the historic Spring Grove Cemetery, the third-oldest cemetery in the nation. High traffic and high speeds may be primary contributors to this zone.

For more information on our methodology and data, please see our statewide traffic study.