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Crash Data Shows Hwy 29’s Worst Intersections
December 28, 2010
Crash data from the Florida Department of Transportation provides some interesting insight into how many crashes occur on Highway 29 and which intersections are the worst.
If you guessed the Highway 97 intersection is bad; you would be right. Crash data shows the Highway 97 and Highway 29 intersection in Molino experienced abnormally high crash rates compared to the statewide average for similar intersections.
Data from the most recently available five year period available shows that there were 1,521 crashes, 907 of which caused injury on Highway 29. The most common crash type on Highway 29 from Pensacola to the Alabama state line was rear-end (39 percent).
The most common crash day was Friday (18 percent), and about 30 percent of wrecks happened between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Nine intersections along Highway 29 were identified as high crash locations — having more than eight crashes per year, or 40 over a five year period:
- Highway 97 — 38 crashes
- Ten Mile Road — 61 crashes
- Nine One Half Mile Road — 34 crashes
- Burgess Road — 68 crashes
- Diamond Dairy Road — 58 crashes
- Broad Street — 68 crashes
- Hannah Street — 49 crashes
- Hood Drive — 43 crashes
- Detroit Boulevard — 68 crashes
Statistics revealed more information about the three most northern high crash locations on Highway 29:
- Highway 97 — The most common crash type at the Highway 97 and Highway 29 intersection was rear-end at 63 percent. About two-thirds of all crashes resulted in at least one injury. About 58 percent of the at-fault vehicles were traveling east off Highway 97. During the five year period studied, there was one fatal crash in 2005.
- Ten Mile Road — Common crash types were split between rear-end at 36 percent and angle at 34 percent. Crashes most commonly occurred between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., and about one-third of the crashes were at night. About two-thirds of the wrecks at the intersection resulted in an injury.
- Nine One Half Mile Road — About six out of ten wrecks at this intersection were from an angle, while 21 percent were rear-end. About one-third happened after dark. Over 70 percent of the at-fault vehicles were traveling on Nine One Half Mile Road.
Pictured top: Six people were injured in a two-vehicle accident in September, 2008, at the intersection of Highway 29 and Highway 97. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
16 Responses to “Crash Data Shows Hwy 29’s Worst Intersections”
Sad that we had to wait till enough people were killed at 9 1/2 mile Rd to get a light.
@ Punish the masses – the Masses are the ones not obeying the speed limit law – that’s a fact. I drive that road Monday thru Friday both in the morning and in the evening and know for a FACT that most do not do the 55 speed limit.
If anything all those spots mentioned should have 4 way stops especially the Thom Thumb corner. Or how about some cameras? Snap a pic and send speeding ticket directly to the registered owner of the vehicle. Then maybe we’ll see people drive a little slower and a lot safer.
Sitting at Tom Thumb one afternoon…i observed ..& counted 97 automobiles that did not stop at the stop sign when at 97 to make a right turn onto hwy. 29. Ninety-seven vehicles paused briefly and continued on their way…..this was amazing to me that they just ignored the stop sign . stop means a full complete stop even if there are no vehicles coming down 29 and is clear . I have been nealry rearended several times simply because i stopped at that stop sign. A traffic light would be a blessing at this dangerous intersection.
So based on the factual information, we should see the number of accidents nearly double at the 9 1/2 mile intersection thanks to the addition of the traffic light.
So once again, punishing the masses because of the careless driving habits of a few will have the opposite result of what the do-gooders intended.
Simply wait until the intersection is clear before trying to merge or cross. When turning at an intersection, accelerate to traffic speed as quickly as possible so as not to impede other drivers whom you have pulled out front of.
And lastly, If there is a driver tail-gating you in the left hand lane, just move overto the right lane. Stop impeding traffic, it is not your job to control traffic speed.
im suprised the intersection of Hwy 29 and hwy 196 wasnt mentioned because u know if about 6 fatal wrecks there.
One of the main problems I find at the 97 and 29 intersection is if you are on 97 and going to turn right (South) on 29 and a car traveling south on 29 put on his turn signal and gets in the turn lane like he is going to turn right on 97, many times they do not turn on 97 but continue on past the intersection and turn into the Tom Thumb. With the acceleration lane they think it is a continuation of the turn lane. Many times I have pulled out thinking they were going to turn right on 97 and they kept going to the Tom Thumb and I almost got hit. Now I wait to see what they are going to do. Better safe than sorry or dead.
My husband (Ablebravo) made the comment:
During the peak hours from 2 pm until 6pm they should have a sheriff there like they do in front of West Florida Hospital. Of course they won’t until someone actually gets killed.
Well seeing how the speed limit thru there is POSTED at 55 mph there are very few that actually follow that. Yes you, daily commuters do not do the speed limit almost the entire length of Hwy 29. And to make matters worse, even tho I am doing the speed limit, have had both FHP and Escambia sheriffs pass me, like they are above the law.
First rule I learned in driver’s ED. Drive to defend, not to offend. In other words always watch out for the other guy, thereby protecting yourself. It’s always better to yield then to try to beat the other person through the intersections. Driving isn’t a contest. Doesn’t matter were you are at. Being careful is not a sin.
If you look at other Red lights along 29, they actualy cause more rear-end accidents
I disagree with Oversight.
I believe that regular traffic lights with turn arrows would help prevent so many accidents at 29 and 97. It is a long way across that intersection. At times, it is difficult to get across all those lanes,especially with so many making turns there, many going to and coming from the Tom Thumb. I hope that there soon be a good light system there.
The problems that I have observed is that drivers do not know how to use the acceleration and de-acceleration lanes. Drivers will wait and wait for traffic to clear before driving into the lane of their choce going south. There is an acceleration lane going south for a 1/4 mile and it is rarely used. The other problem I have noticed is the de-acceleration lane going south on 29. It is for turning onto Hwy 97 north, not for entering the convenience store. Just plain rules of the road we learned in Drivers-Edu.
I’m with Lisa Kaye and ABC, hwys or roads dont cause accidents. If that was the case everyone who drive on those roads would have an accidents. Let’s just call it like it is, its just bad irresponsible drivers that cause these accidents period……..
LOL Lisa. how true, if you ever just sit and observe the traffic, watch how the traffic coming down 97 eastward like they are on the freeway, very few turn on signals and many just fly into the Tom Thumb. They approach the intersection at ridiculous speeds, The congestion at the corner due to Tom Thumb is ridiculous, the store and the service area should have been set much further in due to its location, We should have the rule that all shops and gas stations be 300 yards from the highway, it works …. Signals? very few use them either. Too bad we can have just plain traffic cops who could issue tickets for all the misdemeanors that cause the accidents, like no signals, tail gating, illegal passing, eating with one hand talking on the cell phone with the other, or putting on make up, etc.. the tickets they issued would pay their salary , then their are the vehicles without headlights, many come down 97 with one or no lights, If you use the 97 -29 intersection you are taking your life in your hands, its not worth it,
State Road 97 and U.S. 29 is a poorly designed intersection because it does not cross at 90 degrees which lends to those driving south on 97 not stopping as they “merge” onto south 29. Then couple that with the Tom Thumb; now there is a lot going on there to distract drivers. What’s the fix? Well, there aren’t any easy answers to that question and I don’t think that a red light would help out the situation.
We needed a study to tell us that people don’t know how to drive and especially not at these intersections? Wow, I could have told them this and it would have been a heck of a lot cheaper too.