[Study] The Most Dangerous Intersections in the Fresno Metro Area

June 9, 2023•Firm News

Each year, thousands of people are injured or killed in car accidents on California roads. In fact, car accidents are a leading cause of injury in death in nearly every county in the state. In 2020, 212 people were killed and over 5,000 people were injured in Fresno and Madera counties alone.

At Freedman Law, we understand the devastating effect that car accidents can have on victims and their families and the capacity the have to change the lives of those involved forever. For this reason, we wanted to identify areas where Fresno County motorists may be at the highest risk of being involved (and subsequently injured) in a collision. We worked with the data visualization agency, 1Point21 Interactive, to analyze data from CHP SWITRS and find the most dangerous intersections in the Fresno metropolitan area.

Below, we list theon the most dangerous intersections in the Fresno Metro Area, along with the top ten in Fresno, Clovis, and Madera.

[Interactive Map] All Intersections Where a Collision Occurred

The map below is interactive. Each bubble represents an intersection where at least one collision occurred during the study period. Use the mouse wheel or touch gestures to zoom in and hover to reveal more information about each intersection.

Unincorporated Areas and “County Islands”

For this study, we took a look at the most dangerous intersections in the Fresno Metro Area. The Fresno metro area has a population of 1,008,654 and is made up of both Fresno and Madera Counties, and several unincorporated urban pockets. The unincorporated areas make up what is known as “county islands”, this is when a small or large unincorporated area is located within a larger county, making a ‘land island’. An unincorporated area can be a community or an area that is not part of an incorporated city can be extremely expensive to maintain. Because they are not part of the incorporated city, they usually do not have their own municipal government, and instead are governed by their counties.

While there are some benefits of living in an unincorporated area may like, lower property taxes, and fewer rules and regulations than a town may have, there are also several downsides. Because unincorporated areas are run by the county, they often face obstacles to providing acceptable services that the residents in an urban area have come to expect. Due to fiscal constraints, there may be fewer emergency services in these, and they can take longer to reach you when needed.

According to our analysis, only 4 of the 51 most dangerous intersections were found within a city limit. Incredibly, 47 were listed as in unincorporated areas of Fresno and Madera counties.

It could be postulated that the reason more of the dangerous intersections are located within unincorporated areas is that it may take longer for emergency services to arrive on the scene when there are serious injuries. Additionally, intersections may be inherently dangerous and need modifications to become safer, but due to lack of funding, it may be difficult to make those necessary changes.

Table: The Most Dangerous Intersections in the Fresno Metro Area

The table below lists the 51 (three crossings were tied for 49th) most dangerous intersections in the Fresno metropolitan area.
*Crash Risk Index (CRI) is a composite metric that takes both collision volume and injury severity into account.

Rank	Street 1	Street 2	City	Crashes	Injuries	Deaths	Severe Injury	CRI
1	Av 24	County Road 22	Unincorp.	6	23	2	11	98
2	Ashlan Av	Palm Av	Unincorp.	25	37	1	3	91
3	Bethel Av	Dinuba Av	Unincorp.	25	46	0	2	86
4	Bethel Av	Rose Av	Unincorp.	11	30	3	2	85
5	Central Av	Temperance Av	Unincorp.	12	20	3	4	80
6	Rose Av	Zediker Av	Unincorp.	19	41	0	3	80
7	Belmont Av	Grantland Av	Unincorp.	12	25	1	4	74
8	Bethel Av	Nebraska Av	Unincorp.	7	17	3	3	71
9	Jensen Av	Marks Av	Unincorp.	14	26	2	1	70
10	Manning Av	State Route 33 (Derrick Av)	Unincorp.	3	4	6	0	69
11	North Av	Temperance Av	Unincorp.	19	32	0	3	67
12	Crawford Av	Manning Av	Unincorp.	15	28	0	3	66
13	Dinuba Av	Zediker Av	Unincorp.	11	23	1	3	63
14	Cornelia Av	Manning Av	Unincorp.	7	10	3	3	62
15	Marks Av	North Av	Unincorp.	5	13	2	5	61
16	Academy Av	Nebraska Av	Unincorp.	15	27	0	1	55
17	Del Rey Av	Mckinley Av	Unincorp.	9	21	1	1	54
18	Academy Av	Mountain View Av	Unincorp.	10	19	0	5	54
19	Dickenson Av	Shaw Av	Unincorp.	7	23	0	4	54
20	Clovis Av	Nebraska Av	Unincorp.	10	26	0	3	54
21	Englehart Av	South Av	Unincorp.	16	29	0	0	54
22	Av 9	County Road 30	Unincorp.	2	1	5	0	53
23	Cedar Av	Mckinley Av	Fresno	1	6	3	4	53
24	Leonard Av	Manning Av	Unincorp.	8	15	1	4	53
25	Jayne Av	State Route 269 (Lassen Av)	Unincorp.	8	19	1	2	52
26	Bullard Av	Palm Av	Fresno	2	4	4	1	50
27	Fowler Av	Shaw Av	Clovis	10	13	1	3	50
28	Interstate 5 To Jayne Av	Jayne Av	Unincorp.	8	21	0	3	50
29	Elm Av	Nebraska Av	Unincorp.	5	8	3	1	48
30	Clovis Av	Mountain View Av	Unincorp.	11	16	1	1	48
31	American Av	Chestnut Av	Unincorp.	10	26	0	0	48
32	County Road 416	Sr-41	Unincorp.	9	12	2	1	47
33	Friant Rd	Shepherd Av	Fresno	14	17	1	0	47
34	Alta Av	South Av	Unincorp.	9	19	1	1	46
35	Dinuba Av	Mendocino Av	Unincorp.	9	19	1	1	46
36	Hills Valley Road	Manning Av	Unincorp.	5	11	0	7	45
37	Jameson Av	Kamm Av	Unincorp.	5	7	2	3	44
38	Garfield Av	Shaw Av	Unincorp.	4	9	1	5	44
39	Church Av	Marks Av	Unincorp.	11	18	1	0	44
40	Belmont Av	Blythe Av	Unincorp.	12	21	0	1	43
41	Central Av	Frankwood Av	Unincorp.	9	17	0	3	42
42	Englehart Av	Parlier Av	Unincorp.	8	22	0	2	42
43	Brawley Av	California Av	Unincorp.	11	22	0	0	42
44	Conejo Av	Fowler Av	Unincorp.	12	27	0	0	42
45	Av 14	County Road 19	Unincorp.	4	6	2	2	41
46	County Road 16	Sr-152	Unincorp.	5	10	1	3	41
47	Alta Av	Manning Av	Unincorp.	6	14	0	4	41
48	Hayes Av	Mckinley Av	Unincorp.	10	23	0	1	41
49	Jensen Av	Temperance Av	Unincorp.	8	12	1	2	40
50	Dickenson Av	Kearney Blvd	Unincorp.	10	19	0	1	40
51	North Av	Peach Av	Unincorp.	12	21	0	1	40

The Most Dangerous Intersections Within Fresno City Limits

Only one intersection saw more than ten crashes within the Fresno city limits during the study period, at Friant and Shephard. In fact, no other crossing in the top ten saw more than four.

Rank	Street 1	Street 2	City	Crashes	Total Injuries	Deaths	Severe Injuries	CRI
1	Cedar Av	Mckinley Av	Fresno	1	6	3	4	53
2	Bullard Av	Palm Av	Fresno	2	4	4	1	50
3	Friant Rd	Shepherd Av	Fresno	14	17	1	0	47
4	Chestnut Av	Jensen Av	Fresno	4	5	2	1	36
5	Manning Av	Sr-41	Fresno	1	7	0	5	29
6	Fresno St	Princeton St	Fresno	1	4	1	3	27
7	Fort Washington Rd	Friant Rd	Fresno	3	5	1	2	27
8	Bullard Av	West Av	Fresno	2	3	2	0	26
9	Church Av	Clovis Av	Fresno	3	8	1	1	26
10	Blackstone Av	El Paso Av	Fresno	2	2	2	0	25

More information on the top 3 most dangerous intersections within Fresno city limits:

#1 Cedar Avenue & McKinley Avenue Intersection

With 1 crash, 6 total injuries, 4 of which were severe, and 3 deaths, this is the number one most dangerous intersection within Fresno city limits. This intersection is surrounded by a gas station on one corner, a small shopping center on the other, and a residential area. Mckinley Avenue is a main road, and off this road, just 0.2 miles away is an entrance and exit for SR 168. The cross street, Cedar Avenue goes through the surrounding residential area.

#2 Bullard Avenue & Palm Avenue Intersection

With 2 crashes, 4 total injuries, 1 serious injury, and 4 deaths, this is the second most dangerous intersection within Fresno city limits. This intersection is surrounded by two shopping centers, a car wash, 7/11, coffee shops, restaurant, and is located just down the street from a high school. Palm Avenue is a main road, with businesses lining the street in either direction.

#3 Friant Road & Shepherd Avenue Intersection

With 14 crashes, 17 total injuries, and 1 death, this is the third most dangerous intersection within Fresno city limits. Friant road is a main road, with Woodward park recreational area located off it, just up the hill. At this intersection, Shepherd Avenue ends and cars must turn right or left onto Fraint Road. Heading south on Friant road is downhill, which may cause cars to speed up, thus increasing the chances of accidents occurring. While this intersection has seen the most accidents out of all the identified intersections within city limits, there have been no serious injuries during the study time period, and only one death.

The Most Dangerous Intersections in Clovis

During the study period, Clovis saw more crashes than Fresno. Clovis is a city located just outside of Fresno, CA with a population of 118,488.

Rank	Street 1	Street 2	City	Crashes	Total Injuries	Deaths	Severe Injuries	CRI
1	Fowler Av	Shaw Av	Clovis	10	13	1	3	50
2	Shaw Av	Sunnyside Av	Clovis	13	23	0	0	40
3	Clovis Av	Shaw Av	Clovis	10	16	0	0	31
4	Fowler Av	Herndon Av	Clovis	6	11	0	2	27
5	Helm Av	West Shaw Av	Clovis	6	13	0	0	24
6	Leonard Av	Shaw Av	Clovis	8	12	0	0	21
7	Minnewawa Av	Shaw Av	Clovis	7	9	0	0	18
8	Ashlan Av	Temperance Av	Clovis	5	10	0	0	17
9	Villa Av	West Shaw Av	Clovis	5	11	0	0	17
10	Alluvial Av	Clovis Av	Clovis	1	3	0	3	16

The top 3 most dangerous intersections in Clovis are all found along the same main road, Shaw Avenue. The top 3 intersections are similar because they are all immediately surrounded by large commercial buildings like a shopping mall, grocery stores, retail stores, restaurants, and more. In the larger surrounding areas, along each street that crosses Shaw Avenue, you can find residential areas.

#1 Fowler Avenue & Shaw Avenue Intersection

With 10 crashes, 13 injuries, 3 of which were severe, and 1 death, this is the most dangerous intersection in Clovis. This intersection is surrounded by a Walmart, Walgreens, a car wash, and an elementary school. Shaw Avenue is a main road that runs through a residential area with more shopping centers to the west. The cross street, Fowler Avenue takes you into the surrounding residential area that encompasses this intersection.

#2 Shaw Avenue & Sunnyside Avenue Intersection

Just two blocks west of the number one most dangerous intersection in Clovis is the second most dangerous intersection. This intersection is surrounded by a shopping mall, several restaurants, two shopping centers, and a hotel. Just beyond these commercial buildings are residential neighborhoods.

#3 Shaw Avenue & Clovis Avenue

Just another two blocks west of the second most dangerous intersection, and four blocks west of the number one most dangerous intersection in Clovis is the third most dangerous. This intersection is bordered by a large shopping center, two grocery stores, a car rental shop, and one end of the mall parking lot.

The Most Dangerous Intersections in Madera

With 24 total crashes during the study period, Madera saw the least amount of crashes compared to Fresno and Clovis.

Madera, California is a city in the San Joaquin Valley with a population of 66,224 and is a suburban area full of parks, retail stores, schools, and residential neighborhoods. It seems that most of the dangerous intersections are located where residential and commercial buildings are close together. There is likely an increased rate of traffic coming and going from the commercial buildings, therefore increasing the chance of an accident occurring.

Rank	Street 1	Street 2	City	Crashes	Total Injuries	Deaths	Severe Injuries	CRI
1	6Th St E	A St S	Madera	5	9	0	2	24
2	Lewis St E	Rt 145	Madera	8	11	0	0	21
3	L St S	Yosemite Av W	Madera	1	6	0	2	15
4	Oak St	Pine St	Madera	1	1	1	0	12
5	Cleveland Av W	Stephanie Ln	Madera	1	0	1	0	11
6	Knox St S	Tozer St	Madera	1	0	1	0	11
7	D St N	Riverside Dr E	Madera	1	2	0	2	11
8	Olive Av W	Santa Cruz St	Madera	2	6	0	0	10
9	L St N	Yosemite Av W	Madera	3	7	0	0	10
10	Almond Av	Stadium Rd	Madera	1	5	0	0	9

More information on the top 3 most dangerous intersections in Madera:

#1 6th Street East, A Street South Intersection

With 5 crashes, 9 injuries, 2 serious injuries, and no deaths, this is the number one most dangerous intersection in Madera. One side of this intersection is residential, with single-family homes lining the street. While the other side is home to one retail building with a nail salon and fruit stand, and across the street is a health center building.

#2 West Lewis Street & CA 145 Intersection

With 8 crashes, 11 injuries, and no serious injuries or deaths, this is the second most dangerous intersection in Madrea. CA 145 is a main road that runs north-south, and just a block before this intersection is a highway off-ramp and on-ramp for SR-99. This likely brings in traffic for the surrounding area, which is mainly residential with a few government buildings, stores, and restaurants.

#3 L Street South & Yosemite Avenue West Intersection

With 1 crash and 6 injuries, 2 of which were severe, and no deaths, this is the third most dangerous intersection in Madrea. Yosemite Ave is a main road, with 4 lanes that run through a largely residential area. Surrounding this intersection are several dental offices, a credit union, and an insurance company. A few blocks down L Street South is a high school and many single-family homes.

Data Sources, Takeaways, and Methodology

With this data and information in mind, Fresno Metro Area drivers should take extra caution when driving near the dangerous intersections identified in the tables above.

This study was conducted using data pulled from the California Highway Patrol Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (CHP SWITRS) between 2018-2022 for the Fresno metro area.

If you would like to use any of the data, findings, or images from this study for republishing or reporting, please provide a link to this page as a citation to our work.