Every driver in Rochester knows how treacherous the roads can be in winter. A blizzard can limit visibility to practically zero. Later, the buildup of ice and snow can make it easy to lose control. Though bad weather can cause a car accident any time of year, about 40 percent of crashes caused by weather conditions happen in winter.
Northern states like Michigan are particularly vulnerable to wintertime. Unfortunately, a recent study found that our state is the most dangerous place in the country to drive in winter, beating out states like Alaska and Wyoming.
Human error causes more accidents than icy roads
Despite this sad fact, just 5 percent of Michigan’s fatal car wrecks happen during dangerous winter weather conditions. Human negligence, such as drunk driving, is responsible for many more traffic deaths. In fact, from 2017 to 2019, drunk drivers caused about 30 percent of fatal accidents in the state. Other negligent acts, like speeding, driving while distracted and tailgating also contributed to the total.
A tragedy can happen on any stretch of road, but here are the five reportedly deadliest highways and streets in Michigan:
- Gratiot Avenue between E. Grand Blvd. and 7 Mile in Detroit
- Dort Highway (M-54) between E. Pierce Rd. and E. Morris Rd. in Flint
- 28th St. (M-11) between Eastern Ave. SE and Byron Center Ave. in Grand Rapids
- I-75 between I-96 and the I-94 interchange in Detroit
- U.S. 131 between Wealthy St. SE and 44th St. SW in Grand Rapids and Wyoming
Most of these roads are in heavily populated parts of the metro area. But there are dangerous motorists in and around smaller towns like Rochester too. An encounter with one can change your life forever or take away the life of someone you love.
