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Boston has the worst traffic in the nation. There’s research to back it up, too. A report published by the transportation analytics-firm INRIX revealed that drivers in Boston spend more time stuck in traffic than drivers anywhere else in the United States. And, where there’s traffic, congested roads, and irritated drivers, car accidents follow.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, traffic accidents happen frequently in the city of Boston and across Suffolk County, MA.
In 2019, there were an average of 12.1 collisions on Boston city roads every single day.
The total number of car accidents reported in Boston has increased in recent years.
From 2012 to 2017, the number of traffic crashes in Boston surged by a staggering 33%. After 2017 the rate of collisions declined slightly, leveling off through 2019.
Despite a drop off, accidents in 2019 still remained 12% higher than the number reported in 2012.
In 2020, the number of traffic accidents across the country dropped significantly, thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic. As the number of cars on the road declined, so the number of collisions. Boston saw just 2,965 car accidents on city roads in 2020.
However, it’s safe to assume that once traffic picks back up, the rate of collisions will, too.
Depending on the year, anywhere between 25% and 31% of all reported traffic accidents in Boston result in non-fatal injuries.
Non-fatal injuries aren’t the only consequence of traffic accidents in Bean Town. Statistically speaking, not a month goes by in the city of Boston without a fatal motor vehicle accident. And, interestingly, despite a sizable drop in the number of total crashes on city roads in 2020, the number of fatal car crashes remained steady.
In 2020, there were also a total of 19 fatal car accidents – the same as the year prior.
There are a lot of different ways you can be involved in a collision. You could be rear-ended, hit head on, or even involved in a serious rollover or T-Bone crash. What types of crashes happen most often in the City of Boston, though?
Crash data from the Massachusetts DOT reveals that:
Single vehicle accidents are also quite common in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2019, 16.9% of collisions involved a single vehicle. That rate of single vehicle crashes ticked upward in 2020, when 25.4% of crashes only involved one automobile.
Any number of things can contribute to a motor vehicle accident in Suffolk County. Many times, these accidents are avoidable, but happen because people make the choice to drive while distracted or drunk.
Crash stats from the Massachusetts DOT reveal that both distracted driving and drunk driving are big problems in the city of Boston.
Between 2016 and 2019, there were a total of 1,028 accidents involving distracted drivers. That’s about 257 accidents (and countless injuries and deaths) that could have been avoided every year. In 2020, there were fewer distracted driving accidents (144), but that year also saw a decline in the overall number of collisions.
Between 2018 and 2020, there were 393 drunk driving car accidents in Boston. That averages out to about 131 a year. Interestingly, while total collisions declined in 2020, the rate at which those accidents involved an impaired driver did not.
Drunk driving accidents have remained consistent, despite other fluctuations in data.
Boston typically sees, on average, 12 or 13 car accidents on its streets every single day. While these collisions can happen anywhere in the city, there are certain locations that are more prone to these wrecks.
According to a report by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s Highway Division, these roads and intersections report the highest number of motor vehicle collisions in Boston:
Data shows that, between 2015 and 2017, there were 269 collisions at these 7 Boston intersections, alone.
Intersections are notoriously dangerous for pedestrians, in particular. And, while Boston has invested considerable resources into pedestrian safety programs (including adopting a Vision Zero initiative in 2015), the city still ranks as the 5th most dangerous place to walk in the state.
Speeding and distracted drivers make roads less safe to travel. So do motorists who are drunk or under the influence of drugs. So, traffic accidents – involving passenger cars, electric scooters, motorcycles, bicyclists, pedestrians, large trucks, buses, and other vehicles – happen every day on roads across the city of Boston.
If you have been injured in one of these collisions, or if you have lost a loved one in a fatal crash, its’ critical that you understand your legal options. You may be entitled to compensation, and hiring an experienced and compassionate Boston car accident attorney is the best way to ensure that you get the money you deserve.
At Sweeney Merrigan, LLP, our wrongful death and personal injury lawyers in Boston, MA have been standing up for crash victims and their families fore more than a decade. Collectively, we have 100+ years of experience. Our team includes a former District and Appellate Court judge, former prosecutors, and attorneys with decades of experience in litigation under their belts. We’re ready to put our experience and reputation as winning trial attorneys to work for you – all you have to do is call.
We offer a free consultation, so don’t hesitate to contact our law offices at (617)-391-9001 to schedule an appointment today.
