Our Blog

The Most Dangerous Intersections in Toledo

What are the most dangerous intersections in Toledo?

As part of our larger, state-wide intersection collision study, we aimed to find out.

With the help of data visualization agency 1Point21 Interactive, we analyzed six years of Ohio collision data to get a closer, city-centric look at where car accidents were occurring the most on Toledo’s streets.

Additionally, we conducted a geospatial analysis to pinpoint zones of high crash volume – clusters of intersection within close proximity to each other with a high incidence of injury accidents.

The result is a comprehensive list of the most dangerous intersections and zones in Toledo from 2014 to 2019. These top 25 intersections accounted for 940 total crashes, leading to 440 minor/moderate injuries, 86 serious injuries, and 2 fatalities.

The 25 Most Dangerous Intersections in Toledo, Ohio

RankIntersectionCrashesMin/Mod InjuriesSerious InjuriesFatalitiesC.I.S.
1Airport Hw & Byrne Rd783690166.32
2Byrne Rd & Hill Ave462872133.2
3Byrne Rd & Arlington Ave482260103.68
4Airport Hw & Reynolds Rd552050100.8
5Holland Sylvania Rd & Airport Hw52242096.48
6Alexis Rd & Lewis Ave45164081.36
7Secor Rd & Central Ave34212077.04
8Dorr St & Detroit Ave26194074.16
9Central Av & Talmadge Rd34183074.16
10Reynolds Rd & Hill Ave50142073.44
11Hill Av & Westwood Ave24147072.72
12Cherry St & Summit St29240072.72
13Dorr St & Secor Rd34182070.56
14Talmadge Rd & Sylvania Ave40171069.12
15Alexis Rd & Douglas Rd37143067.68
16Holland Sylvania Rd & Angola Rd26173066.24
17Jackman Rd & Sylvania Ave37161064.8
18Secor Rd & Laskey Rd37161064.8
19Telegraph Rd & Alexis Rd2787061.92
20Upton Av & Monroe St24144061.92
21Monroe St & Douglas Rd33161061.92
22Anthony Wayne  & South Ave3766061.2
23Secor Rd & Monroe St3694059.76
24Holland Sylvania Rd & Bancroft St25152057.6
25Sylvania Av & Douglas Rd26180057.6

For more information on data sources, please see our statewide analysis and interactive map: The Most Dangerous Intersections in Ohio

Toledo vs. Other Ohio Cities

When compared to other cities, Toledo has a concerning share of dangerous intersections: in our statewide study, Toledo had five intersections land in the top-50 – higher than both Cleveland (1) and Cincinnati (0), and second only to Columbus.

Further, two of the 5 intersections rank significantly higher than the single intersection in Cleveland in Danger Index.

The Most Dangerous Intersections in Toledo

The most dangerous intersection in Toledo is at the junction of Airport Highway & Byrne Road. Located north of the University of Toledo Medical Center, this intersection had 78 crashes leading to 36 minor/moderate injuries and 9 serious injuries.

Although this intersection requires further investigation into why exactly there are so many accidents happening, a bigger cause for concern is the stretch of Byrne Road here: the top 3 intersections in Toledo not only all occur on Byrne Road, but they occur in just a short 1.5-mile stretch of the street.

In fact, when we look at the intersection data in a larger scale, it is apparent that the neighborhood as a whole has a major problem with driver safety at its intersections: the top 5 intersections in Toledo are all nestled within the Reynolds Corners neighborhood of Toledo.  This includes Airport Highway & Reynolds Road and Holland Sylvania Road & Airport Highway – both within a mile of each other.

Altogether, these five intersections account for nearly a third of all crashes and injuries in our top 25 list. This indicates there may be a greater problem with the neighborhood, rather than individual intersections – and further investigation is highly recommended to determine why there is such a high concentration of injury crashes at the intersections in this neighborhood.

High Collision Zones in Toledo

When intersection-related crash data is categorized into zones ( areas where a high volume of intersection related collisions occur in close proximity.), 4 of the top 5 zones are located within close vicinity in northwest Toledo. In fact, the top 3 dangerous zones occur within a 4-mile stretch of Sylvania Road, from Talmadge Road to Willis Parkway.

The most dangerous zone in Toledo exists in Westgate, north of shopping centers containing major eateries and shopping centers, accounting for 177 crashes, 60 minor/moderate injuries, and 9 serious injuries. These shopping centers may most certainly increase the volume of vehicles in this area.

Interestingly, the third-ranked zone is also centered around a major retail hub, occurring along the boundaries of the Franklin Park Mall. This may indicate that volume of vehicles is possibly a significant factor in the incidence of collisions in Toledo.

RankZone NameCrashesMinor/Mod InjSerious InjFatalitiesC.I.S.
1Westgate: Secor & Monroe177609067.00
2W. Sylvania Ave.1325112362.50
3Franklin Park Mall117494047.33

Other Factors That May Impact Road Safety in Toledo

It is important to note that these data only take into consideration accidents that have occurred at intersections and those that have resulted in injury or death. Any non-injury accidents, nor injury accidents that have occurred on non-intersections or on interstates have not been analyzed in our study.

Taking this into consideration, there may be considerably more dangerous crashes that occur throughout Toledo that have not been tallied by our study because they did not meet the criteria. By that metric, Toledo may very well be more dangerous for drivers than the data indicates. A more comprehensive analysis may be required to accurately determine the safety of Toledo’s roads and freeways as a whole.

Get AI-powered insights from this content:

Jay M. Kelly III

Jay M. Kelley III - Managing Partner

Meet Jay M. Kelley III, a top medical malpractice attorney in Ohio with over 25 years of experience and $200 million in verdicts and settlements. He leads Elk + Elk’s litigation strategy in state and federal courts and has a unique background as a former felony prosecutor and hospital defense lawyer. Jay specializes in complex cases, including birth injuries and wrongful death, and is recognized by Best Lawyers and ranked among the Super Lawyers Top 10 in Ohio.