Top 5 Crash-Prone Intersections In Oakland County Include 2 Roundabouts
COMMERCE TWP. (WWJ) - A new study on road safety finds that two of most dangerous spots in Oakland County are home to roundabouts, or traffic circles.
Data complied by the Traffic Improvement Association of Michigan shows that most crashes during 2015 in Oakland County -- 116 -- took place at the roundabout on M-5 and Pontiac Trail in Commerce Township, according to a report in the Oakland Press.
Rounding out the top five intersections most prone to traffic crashes is the corner of Telegraph and 12 Mile Road in Southfield -- 96 crashes; the corner of Maple and Orchard Lake roads in West Bloomfield -- 68 crashes; the roundabout at Farmington and Maple roads in West Bloomfield -- 61 crashes; and the corner of Big Beaver and Rochester roads in Troy -- 61 crashes.
Of those crashes, only one was a fatality and 52 others resulted in injuries.
Two of the intersections are roundabouts, which drivers find frustrating. Still, officials say the traffic circles are safer than traditional intersections. Officials also point out that the number of high crashes does not necessarily indicate the intersection is "dangerous," given that driver behavior tends to be the cause of most crashes.
These are also some of the busiest intersections in Oakland County -- more cars, more drivers, more opportunities for accidents.
