Commuters and others who regularly drive in San Antonio are well aware of Bexar County’s heavy traffic and the frequency of car accidents. What emerges under closer inspection is that many car accidents occur at intersections, and that some intersections – due to design, traffic volume or other factors – are more dangerous than others.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHA) says that an average of one-quarter of traffic fatalities and roughly half of all traffic injuries each year are attributed to accidents at intersections. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that, in 2018, 734 fatal accidents in Texas occurred within an intersection or within the approach to an intersection. Of those, 49 fatal intersection accidents occurred in Bexar County. From 2014 through 2018, there were 40 intersection accident fatalities in Bexar County a year.
Our San Antonio car accident attorneys at Herrman & Herrman help accident victims recover compensation for their injuries and other losses suffered in intersection crashes caused by other motorists. If you’ve been injured in a T-bone accident at an intersection or some other type of crash, our law firm has English- and Spanish-speaking staff who can assist you. But we hope the information below can help you avoid an intersection accident.
Most Dangerous Intersections in San Antonio, TX
According to a San Antonio Express News report, the most deadly intersections in Bexar County are:
- Loop 1604 and Interstate 10 — 216 collisions in 2017
- Northwest Loop 410 and Interstate 10 — 124 collisions in 2017
- U.S. 281 and Interstate 35 — 108 collisions in 2017
- West Loop 1604 North and Highway 16 — 92 collisions in 2017
- Northeast Loop 410 and Interstate 35 — 90 collisions in 2017
- North Loop 1604 East and Interstate 35 — 82 collisions in 2017
- Alamo Ranch Parkway and Westwood Loop — 79 collisions in 2017
- Northeast Loop 410 and Walzem Road — 63 collisions in 2017
- Northwest Loop 410 and Wurzbach Road — 61 collisions in 2017
- Northwest Loop 410 and San Pedro Avenue — 61 collisions in 2017
- Highway 151 and West Military Drive — 56 collisions in 2017
- West Loop 1604 North and Culebra Road — 54 collisions in 2017
- Northwest Loop 410 and Highway 151 — 52 collisions in 2017
- Northwest Loop 410 and Culebra Road — 51 collisions in 2017
- Northeast Loop 410 and Rittiman Road — 51 collisions in 2017
- Wurzbach Road and Wetmore Road — 48 collisions in 2017
- Southwest Loop 410 and Marzbach Road — 48 collisions in 2017
- North Loop 1604 East and San Pedro Avenue — 47 collisions in 2017
- Interstate 10 and Huebner Road — 46 collisions in 2017
- Highway 151 and Potranco Road — 46 collisions in 2017
- Southeast Loop 410 and Rigsby Avenue — 46 collisions in 2017
- Interstate 35 and McCullough Avenue — 42 collisions in 2017
- Interstate 10 and Wurzbach Road — 42 collisions in 2017
- Loop 1604 and Highway 90 — 41 collisions in 2017
- Loop 1604 and Potranco Road — 40 collisions in 2017
- Interstate 10 and Martin Luther King Drive — 40 collisions in 2017
Why Do Most Accidents Happen at Intersections?
If you have multiple cars crossing the same area at the same time in different directions, collisions are bound to happen. By design, an intersection is a place where vehicles travelling in opposing directors may come into conflict. As the FHA explains: the different approach and crossing movements by motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians make at-grade intersections one of the most complex traffic situations that people encounter.
Add to the complexity of an intersection the wild card of motorists who ignore speed limits, disregard traffic lights and fail to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and other vehicles that have the right of way.
Driver negligence and error are big factors in accidents that occur at intersections. A NHTSA study of intersection accidents said 96 percent of intersection accidents were caused by driver error. The most common errors cited were:
- Not looking before pulling ahead or turning (44.1 percent)
- False assumption of what another driver is about to do (8.4 percent)
- Turning with an obstructed view (7.8 percent)
- Running a red light or stop sign or making an illegal turn (6.8 percent),
- Distracted driving (5.7 percent)
- Misjudging the gap between vehicles or another vehicle’s speed (5.5 percent)
Types of Crashes at San Antonio Intersections
Car crashes in intersections are typically one of four types:
- Angle-impact crashes, also known as T-bone car accidents, are the most frequent and cause nearly half of fatal intersection accidents (47 percent of intersection fatalities). In this type of collision, one car runs into the side of another. They most often happen when a car runs a traffic signal and hits or is hit by another vehicle crossing an intersection.
- Single-vehicle crashes account for 30 percent of intersection accident fatalities. They often occur at T-intersections when a car runs a stop sign or stoplight and runs across and off the crossing road and crashes.
- Head-on crashes (15 percent) occur when the fronts of two vehicles collide. This often occurs when one car turns squarely into a lane of oncoming traffic or drifts into opposing traffic, in an intersection typically because the driver has taken a turn too fast.
- Rear-end crashes, which account for 6 percent of fatal intersection accidents. Rear-end accidents typically occur in intersections because a driver makes a right-hand turn without looking ahead adequately to see the car he or she then hits.
How Can A Car Accident Lawyer Help Me in San Antonio?
Perhaps you recognize one of the San Antonio intersections listed above where you or a loved one was injured in a collision caused by another motorist. If so, the intersection crash attorneys of Herrman & Herrman may be able to help you. Texas allows two years from the date of an accident to file a personal injury claim for compensation to cover medical expenses and other losses in an accident.
If you have not yet accepted an insurance settlement for injuries suffered in a car accident occurring at an intersection in San Antonio or greater Bexar County, let our attorneys review your case and any insurance offers or communications for free. We can review the facts of the accident and discuss your legal options. If you have received a communication from an insurer, we can discuss whether it is a reasonable offer given your injuries and losses. Call us today or fill out our online contact form to find out how.
