 Discuss: Your Dangerous Drives
 9 Dangerous Drives: Part I
9 Dangerous Drives: Part II
9 Dangerous Drives: Part III
9 Dangerous Drives: Part IV
Onondaga County (WSYR-TV) – Statistics show they are the most dangerous intersections to travel in Onondaga County. Many of them are some of the busiest intersections in the county, with thousands of cars traveling through them each week.
With the help of the Onondaga County Sheriff's Department, NewsChannel 9 has found out the Top 9 Most Dangerous Drives for commuters. Many of the intersections, we've discovered, are not dangerous on their own. However, many drivers do not obey the posted speed limit, or the traffic lights in these heavily traveled areas, leading to crashes.
The map below shows the Top 9 Most Dangerous Drives. You can click on any of the push pins to find out more information about each location. Use the controls on the left side of the map to zoom into each area. Below the map is a description of all nine locations.
Number 9 on the list is the 4000 block of Route 31. Most of you know this area as the Route 481 Interchange. The Onondaga County Sheriff’s Department reports 41 crashes in the stretch between Route 31/481 and the Great Northern Mall. Investigators say distracted and inattentive drivers are mostly to blame.
Number 8 is located in the City of Syracuse. According to the Department of Motor Vehicle records, the corner of James and Lodi Streets has seen 41 accidents so far this year. Syracuse Police say they catch a lot of speeders in that location. James Street is one of the main roads between downtown and the North Side and Eastwood sections of Syracuse.
Many people who head into the city from the eastern suburbs know traveling down this road can be a headache; East Genesee Street from Lyndon Corners to Route 481. That stretch of road is the Number 7 on the Most Dangerous Drives. Over 50 crashes have been reported there.
Commuters in the northern suburbs
may pass by the 6th Most Dangerous Drive. West Taft Road, in the area of Buckley Road, in the area of North Area Medical Center, has recorded 51 wrecks. Onondaga County Sheriff’s Deputies say they routinely catch drivers running red lights, and speeding in the heavily traveled area.
Many people who work at NewsChannel 9 can tell you about Dangerous Drive Number 5. It’s the 5900 block of Bridge Street in East Syracuse, which is basically where the road meets Interstate 690. Like Taft Road, this spot has recorded 51 crashes over a year.
Sheriff’s Deputies say the biggest problem along this stretch of road, is people running red lights. Sgt. Rich McCarron from the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Department sat with Christie Casciano in a marked patrol car, and it didn’t take long for them to observe people running lights to get onto Route 690.
Deputies say some of the crashes aren’t just fender-benders. “If you're coming from a stopped position, to turn left and the southbound traffic on Bridge street is accelerating to try and make it through that yellow light, you're able to get hit at 50-60 miles an hour,” said McCarron.
In Cicero, Sheriff’s Deputies and State Police find themselves spending a lot of time at the Route 481 South to Route 81 South Interchange. According to Onondaga County Sheriff’s Deputies, there have been 58 crashes there. It's a spot that attracts drivers in a rush. The ramp has a sharp curve that takes you from 481 to 81. The recommended speed is 35 miles-per-hour.
"You can see the guard rails all damaged from where the cars are headed this way,” said Sgt. McCarron, who showed how slow you be getting off the exit ramp. “This is the speed where I should be and I got cars on my tail, and I’m in a marked car. Imagine if I were in a civilian car, the pressure on me to go fast.”
Drivers who pass through the Number 3 Most Dangerous Drive may be thinking more about where to park, rather than the road. Carousel Center Drive has a very high number of accidents, but nearly all of them are very minor. Several accident reports we looked at were for very minor damage such as small nicks or bumps to the bumper of a car.
Number two on the list is an area where two of the Central New York’s biggest highways criss-cross. DMV records show the Route 81 and Route 690 interchange is the 2nd Most Dangerous Drive in Onondaga County. The agency reports 92 crashes over the last year, many of them happening at the 690 South to Route 81 south interchange.
Syracuse Police Officer Jack Hayes has put in a lot of hours, investigating accidents on 690, by the exit for 81 South. “People will stay in this left lane, until the last second, then try to cut others off, because they don't want to wait in a big lane of traffic,” says Hayes.
Nearly half-a-dozen roads merge at the Number One Most Dangerous Drive. It’s Carrier Circle in the Town of DeWitt, with 118 crashes over a year. The uncertainty of who is doing what, makes the traffic circle collision prone. Drivers in this area need to be aware of everything around them; what the car in front of them is doing.
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