The Ohio Department of Transportation says that more than 10 percent of the state’s most dangerous traffic intersections can be found right in here in Toledo. That may not surprise anyone who regularly drives in the city. But it means Toledo has a huge challenge making itself safer for drivers, passengers, bicyclists and pedestrians.
ODOT plans to begin by working on what it calls the worst intersection in Toledo: the roundabout at Cherry St., Berdan Ave. and North Detroit Ave. From 2017 to 2019, there were 182 car accidents on that roundabout.
Too many lanes?
ODOT believes the biggest issue with the roundabout is the fact that it has two lanes all the way around. Drivers in the left-hand lane often swerve into the right-hand lane to exit. ODOT’s plan is to reduce the roundabout to one lane and add slip ramps to let northbound drivers continuing north and eastbound drivers turning south onto Detroit Ave. avoid the roundabout entirely.
More notoriously dangerous intersections in the Toledo area
Besides the Cherry-Berdan-North Detroit roundabout, other problem intersections identified by WTOL were:
- Airport and Byrne
- Glendale and Charmaine
- Central and Secor
These dangerous intersections have different problems than the roundabout. Toledo police say that speeding is the biggest factor in crashes at Airport and Byrne. The city and ODOT hope to conduct future construction projects to improve safety at these trouble spots.
Improved infrastructure can decrease the number of serious traffic wrecks. But it’s ultimately up to drivers to take their task seriously. People who speed, drive drunk or are distracted by a cellphone put everyone else in grave danger. Ohio law recognizes that when driver negligence causes serious harm to someone else, the driver responsible must pay compensation.