Avoid These Dangerous Intersections in Chattanooga

Intersections are known to be one of the most common locations for car accidents. Involving several cars at a time, some wanting to turn the same directions, others wanting to go another, focus and communication between drivers at these areas is essential to traversing intersections safely.

Intersections don’t just mean a four-way traffic stop, but include off- and on-ramps for highways as well. In locations where two or more roads meet up is when a driver should be paying extra attention to the road, and the other drivers at the intersection. It’s not a time to make hasty decisions, but a time to make sure that you have the right of way, that no one else will be in your path, and that the other drivers at the intersection know that you are taking your turn.

Five most dangerous intersections in Chattanooga

All states and cities have their fair share of dangerous roads or intersections, and Chattanooga is no different. In 2021 alone, Hamilton County saw 13,652 traffic accidents, with 51 fatalities and 2,848 injured passengers. In 2019 there were 56 fatal accidents in the county, 44 of them occurring in Chattanooga itself. In that same year, there were more accidents in Chattanooga on average than there were for the entire state.

In light of that, we’re going to discuss the most dangerous intersections in Chattanooga, a list curated by the Local 3 News I-Team.

#1: Off ramp from Highway 153, northbound onto Hixson Pike

The first on the list is the off ramp from Highway 153, northbound onto Hixson Pike. Measures are being put into place to help prevent further crashes from happening, such as painting new lane stripes to allow a “free flow of traffic into the Northgate Mall entrance and a much longer merge lane for North Hixson Pike.” The stop sign that used to be there was recently replaced with a yield sign to also help combat accidents in this area.

The city traffic engineer, John Van Winkle states that while this area isn’t known for deadly crashes, it does see many accidents that end with injuries and damaged property, noting, “What happens a lot of times, people pull up to merge, and they look over their shoulders to see the traffic coming off the bridge. And they think the car ahead of them has already left, and it turns out they’ve changed their mind and stopped, and they run in to them.”

#2: The other side of Number 1

Next on the list is actually the opposing side of the same interchange. Again, it is another area that has seen plenty of accidents over the years, but recently has seen a decrease in accidents. A promising sign for our intersection in the number one spot.

#3 and #4: Both sides of I-24 at Germantown and North and South Terrace

These become bottleneck areas for cars during rush hour. A bottleneck is an area of traffic congestion that usually occurs due to a physical condition, such as a four-lane road suddenly becoming two lanes. The same amount of cars have to now pass through the same area, but with less space to do it. According to the I-Team, “work is being scheduled right now to improve safety at the South Terrace intersection.”

#5: 4th Avenue and 23rd Street

Here, unlike the Highway 153 off ramp, more severe accidents happen, but actions are in progress – red light cameras have been installed–  that will hopefully cut down on car crashes.

While these aren’t the only areas of Chattanooga that see car accidents, they do see a bulk of them. Drivers should always be extra careful when it comes to intersections, for the injuries can be severe if you are ever in an accident.

What injuries can be caused by an intersection accident?

There are plenty of injuries that you can suffer from a car accident at an intersection. Whether it’s a minor accident or a serious one, the injuries you receive should not be ignored as they could develop complications. If you are ever in a car accident, seek medical attention immediately even if you believe you are uninjured – some symptoms of injuries are delayed and may show up a week or two later.

• Traumatic brain injury. When your head is hit by an object (or hits an object) with great force, this can cause your brain to collide with the inside of your skull, leading to bruising and internal bleeding. A concussion is a common type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that can vary in severity. You may experience a TBI even in a minor car accident. If you experience dizziness, nausea, fatigue, headaches, or loss of consciousness, you should see a medical professional immediately.
• Whiplash. Whiplash occurs when your neck is violently or forcefully thrown in a back-and-forth motion. This is a common injury in rear-end accidents such as fender-benders. Symptoms include neck pain, loss of neck movement, headaches, fatigue, dizziness, and tingling in the arms and legs. While whiplash can heal within a few weeks with proper medication and exercises, some cases develop into worse conditions and can leave the victim with chronic neck pain.
• Spinal cord injury. Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) are often life-altering, occurring more often in severe car accidents. A complete SCI is when the victim retains no feeling or sensation in their body below the injury point on the spine. These injuries are nearly always permanent, and require extensive physical and emotional medical care and treatment for the rest of the victim’s life. An incomplete SCI is when the victim retains some feeling and sensation below the injury point. This type of SCI more often sees the victim recover, but can still cause partial paralysis and nerve damage. Partial SCIs will, in any case, require extensive medical care and rehabilitation.
• Wrongful death. As the statistics mentioned earlier, far too many people die due to traffic accidents. Worse than any injury is the preventable death of a loved one.

The dangers of intersections are nothing to gloss over, as they are rife with car accidents and the injuries they cause. Not only does it affect a person physically, but mentally and financially as well. Some people end up having to pay for this one instance of someone else’s negligence for the rest of their lives, and we at Wagner & Wagner Attorneys at Law know that isn’t right.

If you have been in a car accident at an intersection (or anywhere) in the Chattanooga area, you should contact one of our car accident lawyers. We make you our priority, so that you do not have to suffer more than you already are. Injuries from concussions to whiplash to broken spines can have you in pain for years, and can empty your bank account faster than that. Let us ensure that you are given the compensation you deserve.

If someone’s carelessness and negligence caused your injury, give us a call at 423-756-7923, or complete our contact form to schedule a free consultation. We proudly serve injured clients in Chattanooga, Cleveland, TN, and throughout North Georgia.