Where Are The Fatal Traffic Accidents in Minnesota?searchinstagramavvophoneenvelopecheckmarkmail-replyspinnererrorclose

For the past two weeks a group of InjuryBoard affiliate writers across the country have be participating in a series of articles on interstate highways and underinsurance coverage (UIM). So I want to look a little at some particularly dangerous areas for fatal car crashes in Minnesota.

Like a couple of others taking part in this dialog, I have been studying Heat Maps on a website called Risky Roads that shows fatal car crashes across the country. Minnesota is far safer than a number of other states on the maps. But, as in the other states, it is very interesting to see the danger spots. Those spots seem to be areas that have higher amount of traffic, a getter percentage of speeders and perhaps even an increased bar crowd.

The Minnesota Map:

The dots are groups of fatal car crashes. The lighter the dot, the smaller the number of crashes. So that bright red dot is actually a concentrated set of 4 different collisions in that location. The period of time appears to be 2005 through 2007.

Here is the listing of the most dangerous clusters:

A closer look at the map around the Twin Cites finds that thankfully, there aren’t any purple or even dark red marks anywhere in the State. There is a greater concentration north of the Twin Cities off of 35W. Here is a satellite view of the same area.

This area is the intersection of 35W and 694. Interesting that it comes up as the hottest spot in the state. Only last week, the Star Tribune reported on a recent near-fatality and plans to fix this deadly interchange.

The data on Risky Roads is apparently derived from NHTSA data. The NHTSA has a reporting system called the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) that breaks down crash fatality statistics by State and various other factors. In 2008 there were 34,017 fatal traffic accidents nationwide, down from 37,435 fatalities in 2007. Minnesota had 456 fatal car crashes in 2008, which is down from 510 in 2007.

If you have information on dangerous intersections or stretches of highway in Minnesota or in any state, let us know. The best way to prevent injury and death from automobiles is to be aware of high risk areas. I’m sure any of the involved writers Devon Glass from Church Wyble, P.C., Steve Lombardi from The Lombardi Law Firm, Wayne Parsons of Wayne Parsons Law Offices, Rick Shapiro from Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton, P.C., and Pierce Egerton from Egerton & Associates; all would like to publish them and will pass the information gained along to the media and consumer groups.

You may find the other articles in this series informative on national interstate highway driving and automobile insurance:

Are Double-Bottomed Semis More or Less Dangerous to You? – Devon Glass from Church Wyble, P.C. (Michigan), August 26, 2009

Who wins and loses when a Ford Focus and a fully-loaded semi-truck crash? – Steve Lombardi from The Lombardi Law Firm (Iowa), August 25, 2009

Hawaii Freeway Chronicles #1: What Are The Danger Points On H-1, H-2 and H-3?, by Wayne Parsons of Wayne Parsons Law Offices. (Hawaii), August 27, 2009

The Interstate Highway Graveyard, “Speed Kills”, Lombardi, August 28, 2009

Why Speeders on the Highway Cause More Serious Accidents, Glass, August 28, 2009

Death and Injury On Interstate Highways Increase With Higher Speed Limits, Wayne Parsons, August 29, 2009 2:31 AM

Drunk Drivers Caused 40% of Traffic Fatalities In Hawaii In 2006, Wayne Parsons, August 31, 2009 12:16 AM

Interstate Highways Are No Place For Drunk Drivers Over The Labor Day Weekend, Wayne Parsons | September 01, 2009 4:36 PM

Uninsured Motorist Car Insurance: It’s Your Most Important Car Insurance and Here Is Why, Rick Shapiro, September 01, 2009 10:30 AM

Uninsured Drivers: Who Are These People?, Pierce Egerton , September 02, 2009 12:00 PM

Risky Drivers Don’t Just Drive Drunk and Speed – They Often Don’t have Insurance , Wayne Parsons, September 02, 2009 4:09PM