2 Area Intersections Ranked Among Most Dangerous in U.S.

One intersection is home to posh Beverly Hills hotels, boutiques and a famous talent agency. The other, located 35 miles south in Orange County, is lined with mini-malls, fast-food restaurants and auto parts stores.

The two traffic corners, worlds apart, are linked only by accident. Actually, many accidents.

A new insurance industry survey released Wednesday ranked the intersection of Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards in Beverly Hills and the intersection of Brookhurst Street and Adams Avenue in Huntington Beach as two of the 10 most dangerous intersections in the nation.

The State Farm Insurance Co. study, based on its own insurance claims, estimated that there were more than 200 accidents at each site last year. The Beverly Hills intersection ranked fourth, while the Huntington Beach intersection ranked sixth. Heading State Farm’s list was a road in Texas, with more than 260 estimated accidents.

Cities can take relatively simple steps to reduce crash figures, the study also found, such as redesigning driveways, installing larger traffic lights and adding flashing warning lights.

Local traffic officials disputed the company rankings, saying that State Farm’s numbers do not match their own accident statistics. But the study’s results ring true to many people who live and work near the intersections.

Alison Jimenez works at the Budget-Beverly Hills Car Collection and enjoys a prime view of the nearly daily traffic accidents she said she sees at Wilshire and Santa Monica.

“One day a car’s going to go through that window,” she said, pointing to the floor-length glass facing the intersection.

And in Orange County, “there are near-misses every day. You hear the tires screeching,” said Henry Mereness, 23, a mechanic at the Shell gas station at Brookhurst and Adams. “This is pretty much the worst intersection in Huntington Beach.”

State Farm compiled its list by comparing insurance claims from policyholders at thousands of street and highway intersections. Researchers worked out an estimate for total crashes by taking into account the percentage of cars insured by State Farm in surrounding areas and the total number of claims for each intersection.

The method drew fire from local traffic officials, who said the study is inaccurate.

“To me it sounds like they’ve worked out which are the most dangerous intersections for State Farm, not necessarily for the public at large,” said John Standiford of the Orange County Transportation Authority.

The Wilshire and Santa Monica intersection is among the busiest in the nation, said Beverly Hills Police Lt. Edward Kreins. But there have been only four injury accidents in 1998, he said, and no fatal crashes for a decade.

The Huntington Beach intersection, with 25 crashes reported to police in 1998, fails even to rank even as the most accident-prone in the city, said interim transportation manager Tom Brohard.

State Farm officials defend the study.

“There is certainly room for error,” said State Farm spokesman Dick Luedke, “but we believe that it’s pretty close.”

The study is meant to provoke debate on improving dangerous intersections, Luedke said. State Farm has offered to contribute as much as $4.4 million to help cities pay for studies and traffic improvements at the worst intersections.

In California, intersection accidents accounted for about 20% of all fatal collisions during 1997, the latest figures available, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Local traffic officials said there has not been a fatal crash at the Beverly Hills intersection for a decade.

The Orange County intersection had a single fatal accident three years ago.

A white cross, painted on a light pole outside the Shell gas station, marks the spot where Kristina Bridges was killed. A bunch of artificial flowers remains tied with a purple bow at the base of the pole.

The 17-year-old had fallen asleep at the wheel when her car veered off the road and slammed into the pole.

Kristina’s grandfather, Perry Bridges, said: “Most of the accidents have nothing to do with the intersection. It’s the drivers. It’s people speeding. It’s people running red lights.”

A steady stream of traffic coursed through both the intersections Wednesday. In Huntington Beach, motorists said the city should have longer red lights and more police enforcement.

In Beverly Hills, some motorists and pedestrians were skeptical of the ranking.

“I don’t think it’s true,” said Julie Zelman, an actress who said she has driven through the intersection nearly every day for the last seven years. “It’s really crowded and jammed, but I’ve never actually seen an accident.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Dangerous Crossroads

Intersections in Beverly Hills and Huntington Beach were among the most dangerous U.S. intersections in 1998, according to State Farm Insurance.

10 Most Dangerous Intersections in the U.S.

City: 1. Addison, Texas

Intersection: Belt Line Rd. and Midway Rd.

Est. 1998 crashes*: 263

*

City: 2. Plano, Texas

Intersection: Park Rd. and Preston Rd.

Est. 1998 crashes*: 249

*

City: 3. Schaumburg, Ill.

Intersection: Golf Rd. and Roselle Rd.

Est. 1998 crashes*: 244

*

City: 4. Beverly Hills

Intersection: Wilshire and Santa Monica Blvds.

Est. 1998 crashes*: 242

*

City: 5. Dallas

Intersection: Belt Line Rd. and Preston Rd.

Est. 1998 crashes*: 241

*

City: 6. Huntington Beach

Intersection: Adams Ave. and Brookhurst St.

Est. 1998 crashes*: 232

*

City: 7. Sacramento

Intersection: Fair Oaks Blvd. and Watt Ave.

Est. 1998 crashes*: 212

*

City: 8. Clearwater, Fla.

Intersection: Sunset Point Rd. and U.S. 19

Est. 1998 crashes*: 211

*

City: 9. Las Vegas

Intersection: Rainbow Blvd. and Sahara Ave.

Est. 1998 crashes*: 207

*

City: 10. Chesterfield, Mich.

Intersection: Gratiot Ave. and 23 Mile Road

Est. 1998 crashes*: 204

* Based on State Farm claims multiplied by a factor keyed to percentage of vehicles insured by State Farm in the metropolitan areas where intersections are located.

Source: State Farm Insurance

*

Special correspondent Jason Kandel contributed to this story.