Phoenix drivers navigate some of the busiest, highest-risk intersections in the state every single day — often without realizing it. In 2024 alone, Phoenix recorded 37,472 traffic crashes, 265 of them fatal. According to the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), roughly six out of every ten traffic injuries in the region happen at intersections, and four out of every ten traffic deaths do too.
MAG tracks this risk closely, using a formula that weighs crash frequency, severity, and pedestrian involvement to rank the metro area's most dangerous intersections. Below, we break down the ones consistently identified as Phoenix's highest-risk locations — and what to do if you're ever involved in a crash at one of them.
Phoenix's Most Dangerous Intersections
Based on MAG's multi-year crash-risk analysis, these intersections consistently rank among the most dangerous in the Phoenix metro area:
- 99th Avenue & Lower Buckeye Road — the single highest crash-volume intersection in the Phoenix metro area, with several hundred reported crashes over a recent five-year period
- 67th Avenue & McDowell Road — ranked the #1 intersection in the Valley for crash severity, in a busy west Phoenix corridor lined with retail, apartments, and schools
- 75th Avenue & Indian School Road
- 67th Avenue & Indian School Road
- 75th Avenue & McDowell Road
- 27th Avenue & Camelback Road
- 43rd Avenue & Bethany Home Road
- 35th Avenue & Glendale Avenue
- 51st Avenue & Camelback Road (Glendale)
- Cave Creek Road & Sweetwater Avenue — notable for a high proportion of severe and fatal crashes despite a lower overall crash count
Nine of these ten are concentrated in west Phoenix and neighboring Glendale, a pattern MAG has tracked consistently across multiple years of data.
Why These Intersections Are So Dangerous
A few common factors show up again and again at Phoenix's highest-risk intersections:
- High traffic volume combined with wide, multi-lane roads that encourage speeding
- Mixed-use corridors — gas stations, shopping centers, apartment complexes, and schools all feeding traffic into the same intersection
- Frequent turning movements, where drivers cut across multiple lanes without properly checking for other vehicles, cyclists, or pedestrians
- Distracted and red-light-running drivers, a factor in a large share of intersection crashes nationally
According to national crash research, the vast majority of intersection collisions come down to driver error — failing to yield, misjudging another vehicle's speed, or simply not paying attention.
What to Do If You're in an Accident at One of These Intersections
If you're involved in a crash at any of these locations — or anywhere else in Phoenix — a few early steps can make a significant difference in your ability to recover compensation later:
- Call 911 and get medical attention, even if injuries seem minor at first.
- Get the official police report. Because MAG and the city track crash data at these specific intersections, an accurate report matters even more here — it becomes part of the record used to identify patterns and assign fault.
- Photograph the scene — vehicle positions, traffic signals, skid marks, and any visible road hazards.
- Get witness contact information. High-traffic intersections often have multiple bystanders who saw what happened.
- Avoid discussing fault with the other driver or their insurance company before speaking with an attorney.
Crashes at these particular intersections can also involve pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists, given how much mixed traffic they carry — if you were involved in a crash as anything other than a driver, the same evidence-preservation steps apply, and it's worth speaking with an attorney who handles these specific crash types.
How Long Do You Have to File a Claim?
Under Arizona law (A.R.S. § 12-542), you generally have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. If a government entity's road design or maintenance contributed to the crash — a real possibility at some of these high-risk, high-volume intersections — that claim may carry a much shorter notice deadline, so it's worth talking to an attorney sooner rather than later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does MAG track dangerous intersections in the first place?
MAG uses this data to guide infrastructure improvements — retiming signals, adjusting turn lanes, or redesigning intersections that show a consistent pattern of severe crashes. The rankings are a planning tool, but they also tell drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians exactly where to be most cautious.
Does a crash at a "dangerous intersection" change my case?
It can help. If a poorly designed or maintained intersection contributed to your crash, that may support a claim against the responsible government entity in addition to a claim against the other driver — though these claims involve specific notice requirements and shorter deadlines.
I was hit while walking or biking through one of these intersections. Does this still apply to me?
Yes. Pedestrians and cyclists are often the most vulnerable road users at high-traffic intersections like these, and the same evidence-preservation and timeline rules apply to your claim.
What if I'm not sure who was at fault?
That's exactly what an investigation is for. Our attorneys can review the police report, witness statements, and physical evidence from the scene to determine liability — you don't need to have it figured out on your own before reaching out.
Injured at a Phoenix Intersection? We Can Help.
Whether your accident happened at one of these ten intersections or anywhere else in the Phoenix area, Rafi Law Group can investigate what happened, identify every liable party, and fight for the compensation you deserve.
Contact us today for a case review. We operate on a contingency fee basis: you pay nothing unless we win your case. Call (888) 408-6870