Dangerous Intersections in Riverside

Riverside County, CA, recorded 498 pedestrian accident injuries and deaths according to 2019 data from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). While this is an improvement over the 564 pedestrians injured or killed in traffic accidents the year before, it’s still a high number. Pedestrian accidents have been on the rise nationally in the last few years and Riverside is no exception. Distracted drivers on their cell phones are one of the main reasons why. Sadly, in the vast majority of these crashes the pedestrian suffers serious injuries or is killed.

Sustaining major injuries or having a family member die in a Riverside pedestrian accident is incredibly traumatic. Seeking justice against those responsible through compensation can provide much-needed financial relief. This can be so important at such a difficult time. Having one less thing to worry about can help you and your loved ones emotionally. Contact The Dominguez Firm today for a a FREE consultation regarding your Riverside pedestrian accident at (800)818-1818.

What follows is more information why Riverside County pedestrian accidents happen plus, some of its most dangerous intersections.

Reasons for Pedestrian Accidents in Riverside County

Drunk and distracted driving are the main reason for pedestrian accidents in Riverside, but negligent pedestrian behavior also plays a role. Walking while staring at a cell phone may be very dangerous, but it’s also a common sight. All that, coupled with increasing traffic as the population of the Inland Empire, and specifically Riverside County grows, adds up to more accidents.

The news is arguably worse in the Coachella Valley, which is part of Riverside County. There, explosive population growth and the area’s reputation as a tourist destination have caused a steady rise in traffic accident injuries and fatalities over the last 10 years. In fact, Palm Springs ranked fourth for pedestrians over the age of 65 injured or killed in accidents in 2019.

Magnolia Ave. and Tyler St. – City of Riverside

Magnolia Avenue and Tyler Street isn’t just one of the most dangerous intersections in Riverside County, it has the sad distinction of being the 12th most dangerous intersection in California. Pedestrians are forced to cross six lanes of traffic to get from one side of the street to the other. This intersection is close to many restaurants, gas stations, banks, and shopping plazas which makes it very popular with shoppers and those looking for a place to eat. The mix of people and cars, especially on the weekends, leads to a fair share of pedestrian accidents, some of them deadly.

Tripoli Way and 52nd Ave. – City of Coachella

Located in a residential section of the city of Coachella, this intersection has been gaining notoriety in the last few years because of the large amount of traffic accidents that have been occurring here. What has caused a rise in the number of accidents is more vehicles over time and poor signage. It might sound unbelievable, but this intersection just recently got a stop sign. Pedestrians brave enough to try their luck still have to contend with blind spots and cars speeding by at up to 70 miles an hour on 52nd Avenue.

Calls for a street light or four way stop sign have have been rejected by city officials. Even a request for street parking regulations to take away the blind spots have been brushed aside. Their reasoning has been the lack of fatalities in that intersection. Hopefully continued public pressure will help change the city’s policy and make that crosswalk safer in the near future.

Highway 111 and Frank Sinatra Rd. – Rancho Mirage

Rancho Mirage, also in the Coachella Valley and neighboring Palm Desert have seen a noticeable rise in pedestrian accidents and deaths over the last few years. One area, Highway 111 and Frank Sinatra Road has accounted for numerous accidents including a pedestrian death in December of 2019. Furthermore, the nearby intersection of Portola Ave. and Shadow Mountain Dr. also recorded a pedestrian fatality just two days earlier.

Arlington Ave. and Van Buren Blvd. – City of Riverside

Located in a busy area near Riverside Municipal Airport, this intersection does have multiple traffic lights and clear signage. However, pedestrians need to navigate up to nine lanes of traffic to cross the street. It has had at least 200 car crashes and numerous pedestrian deaths in the last decade alone. The issue has nothing to do with popular destinations or road signage and everything to do with the heavy flow of traffic.

Even with proper signs and crosswalks, this higher-than-average amount of total traffic results in a similarly higher-than-average number of car accidents. The causes here vary widely and could be due to aggressive drivers, distracted driving, and DUIs.

Riverside County Has a Large Number of Dangerous Intersections

These are just a sampling of the most notorious intersections in Riverside. According to reporting from the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), car crashes in intersections account for more than 36% of all car accidents that occur in the country every year.

While DUI cases continue to decrease overall year over year, the issue is still prevalent, here in Riverside County, which ranks first in the state when it comes to underage drinking and driving car crashes. Similarly, it ranks tenth overall for all car crashes that in some way involve alcohol.

By driving those numbers down and working to improve some of the more dangerous intersections in Riverside, the number of crashes can and should eventually start to go down. 

If you’ve been involved in a pedestrian accident in Riverside, call the personal injury powerhouse lawyers at The Dominguez Firm today for your free consultation at (800) 818-1818.