The most dangerous intersections in Marion County revealed

The Marion County Traffic Safety Partnership has compiled data on some of the worst intersections across the metro area in order to increase traffic enforcement and police presence for 2010-2011 in the name of safety (see the complete list at the end of this story).

If you commute at all in the metro area chances are you pass through you pass through one of 25 high crash intersections on a regular basis. Whether it's Southport Road and State Road 37 on the west side or Southport Road and Emerson on the west side.

"I try to avoid this one since they've been doing all the construction," said Jonathan West, referencing the intersection of 38th St. and Lafayette Rd, which consistently ranks as one of the highest crash areas in the city.

In fact, if you drive 38th Street across the city, you'll find eight of the 25 worst intersections along the route.

"38th and Fall Creek is pretty bad too," West said.

Bad as they might be, the list of the worst intersections is really meant to make a positive impact. Take 38th St. and Lafeyette Rd., where construction is under way to eventually reduce confusion and speed after numbers revealed 57 percent of the crashes were rear end collisions.

"We need to know when, where and why crashes are occuring and we need to select high crash intersections to get the biggest bang for our buck on our enforcement to reduce those crashes," said Don Bickel, head of the Marion County Traffic Safety Partnership.

Bickel controls the checkbook when it comes to dispersing federal transportation money used for overtime patrols at the worst intersections. Despite the need for extra patrols, most departments wouldn't be able to afford to staff the intersections for extended periods of time without the extra financial help, meaning the bucks actually help take the bang out of the intersection.

"What we're looking for is people obstructing traffic," Bickel said. "That's what I want the citations issued for, the things that cause the crashes at that intersection, red light runners, those types of violations."

"That's good that they are (increasing patrols)," West said. "Because that's probably what causes most of it. People trying to push their luck to get through the intersection when they really don't have time to or following somebody too close and they stop and the other person can't."

"I think that would be really great if they concentrated on at least one of these sections here," said commuter Latonya Roach, who lives near 10th Street and Girl School Rd. "That would be really great."

2010 – 2011 High Crash Intersection Enforcement Areas
High Crash Intersections supplied by Center for Criminal Justice
Indiana University – Purdue University & DPW/INDOT consultants

Indianapolis Metro

79 St. & Michigan Rd.

38 St. & Fallcreek Pky.

SR. 37 & W. Southport Rd.

Southport Rd. & Emerson Av.  (47% were rear end crashes) problem – speeding/red light running

Stop 11 & Madison Av.        (37% were rear end crashes)   problem - red light running

Emerson Av. & Thompson Rd.  (47% were end crashes)  problem – red light running

East St. & Thompson Rd.

Raymond St. & S. Shelby St. (I65)

38 St. & Lafayette Rd.         (57% were rear end crashes)   problem – speed/red light running

38 St. & Moller Rd.      (30% were rear end crashes) problem – speed/red light running

38 St. & Meridian St.

38 St. & Michigan Rd.

86 St. & Michigan Rd.

56 St. & Georgetown Rd.

W. 10 St. & Tibbs Av.  (38% were left turn crashes)  problem – speed/red light running

High School Rd. & Crawfordsville Rd.

Rockville Rd. & Girl School Rd.

10 St. & Girl School Rd.