Across the country, intersections are dangerous. Studies indicate that up to half of all traffic injuries are related to collisions that occur in or because of intersections.

A personal injury firm based in San Antonio, wanted to find out which intersections had the most crashes, injuries, and fatalities occur. They recently conducted a study of Bexar County intersections using 2020 crash data from the Texas Department of Transportation and compiled a list of the 100 most dangerous intersections in the county.

Study: 2020 Bexar County Crash Data

In partnership with 1point21 Interactive, Villarreal and Begum analyzed data from all car crashes that occurred in Texas and 2020, then they isolated those that occurred in intersections in Bexar County. In 2020, there were nearly 50,000 crashes in Bexar County, which resulted in 16,781 injuries and 199 deaths. Just over 30 percent of traffic collisions and 40 percent of traffic injuries occurred at intersections (including highways and loops).

Next, they developed a formula that weighs collision volume and injury severity to create a collision injury score (CIS) for each intersection. Once they had that metric for each intersection, they created a list ranking the 100 most dangerous intersections in Bexar County.

Interactive Map

This interactive map includes all the collisions that occurred at Bexar County road crossings in 2020.. See their precise locations by zooming in and hovering over each point to reveal more information. If viewing on a mobile device, rotate the device for best experience. 

Top 5 Most Dangerous Intersections in Bexar County

Based on the crash data and CIS score for each intersection, the 5 most dangerous intersections in Bexar County, Texas (with 1 being the most dangerous) are as follows:

  1. Highway 151 and Loop 410
  2. Bandera Road and Loop 1604
  3. Loop 1604 and Highway 281
  4. Loop 410 and San Pedro Avenue
  5. IH 10 and Loop 1604

You can see the rest of the dangerous intersections and all other findings from the most dangerous intersections in Bexar County study here.

Car Accidents and the COVID-19 Pandemic

No analysis of 2020 car accident data would be complete without factoring in COVID-19. In addition to their analysis of 2020 data, Villarreal and Begum also compared 2020 data to 2019 data to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the rate of car crashes in the county.

Highlights of this comparison include:

  • While the most dramatic drop in collisions year over year (YOY) occurred between March and May, the year’s total for 2020 was 21% lower than 2019.
  • Comparing 2019 to 2020, injuries from motor vehicle collisions in Bexar County were down 29% YOY.
  • Because overall collisions decreased while fatalities increased in 2020, Bexar County roads were deadlier during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Driving Safely Wherever You Go

By being better informed of high-risk intersections and areas, drivers can adjust their behavior to help work toward safer roads for everyone. In addition, there are some general best practices drivers can use to help create a safer travel experience wherever they are:

  • Always avoid driving drunk, drowsy, or distracted.
  • Follow the automobile manufacturer’s recommendations for routine maintenance.
  • Maintain a safe following distance and create a “space cushion” around your vehicle by driving in between pockets of traffic as much as possible.
  • Always obey the speed limit and all road signs.
  • Drive defensively, expecting the unexpected from other drivers and potential hazards.