Tampa Bay’s Most Dangerous Intersections for Bicyclists
Tampa Bay is a notoriously dangerous place for bicycles. Drivers of larger vehicles treat bicyclists like they are in the way, even though the law gives bicycles just as much right as other vehicles to be on the road. Bicyclists are particularly vulnerable at intersections and prone to serious injuries if they are involved in an accident. Drivers in Tampa Bay have an obligation to drive safely and respect bicyclists on the road.
The Tampa Bay Times analyzed crash data from 2011 to 2018 and determined the 11 most dangerous intersections for bicyclists. Two of these intersections were tied for tenth place. These intersections accounted for a total of 158 crashes with 157 injuries and two fatalities. Eight of the intersections are in Pinellas County, two in Hillsborough County, and one in Pasco County. Only two of these intersections had dedicated bike lanes.
Dangerous Intersections
A complete map of the dangerous intersections and locations of bicycle accidents can be found here. Some of the most dangerous intersections for bicyclists in the Tampa Bay area include:
- W Bay Drive and Seminole Boulevard—this intersection had the most crashes with 19 and 17 injuries. There are no dedicated bike lanes at this intersection.
- 66th Street N and 54th Avenue N—there were 18 crashes at this intersection, and one cyclist was killed. The intersection is surrounded by businesses and is in an area where many people don’t have cars.
- 34th Street N and 5th Avenue N—there were 16 crashes at this intersection
- 34th Street N and 1st Avenue N—close to another dangerous intersection, this intersection was also the site of 16 crashes
- N Nebraska Avenue and Fowler Avenue—there were 15 crashes in this intersection
- W Hillsborough Avenue and N Lois Avenue—there were 13 crashes here despite the existence of dedicated bike lanes
All of the intersections in Pinellas County are in commercial areas where there is a high-density mixture of cars, pedestrians, and bicyclists on the road. On these types of roads, there are many points of conflict for a bicyclist, meaning there are many chances for them to encounter a vehicle.
Contact an Experienced Bicycle Accident Attorney
If you’ve been injured in a Florida bicycle accident, it can be helpful to have an experienced Tampa Bay accident attorney evaluate your case. At Abrahamson & Uiterwyk we have been helping bicycle accident victims for over 30 years. Contact us online or call us at 800-538-4878 to set up your free consultation today.