As the largest city in the Commonwealth, it’s no surprise that Boston and its suburbs are where many accidents take place. Unfortunately, despite what one may hope, car collisions in Boston occur much more frequently than you may expect.
In the years spanning 2012-2019, there were a total of 34,956 collisions reported in the city of Boston alone. That’s about 4,370 collisions a year, or 12 a day, inside city limits.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), there were 3,758 total vehicular accidents in the city of Boston in 2022. Of those crashes, 30 involved serious and severe injuries, 527 involved minor injuries, and 24 resulted in death.
In 2023, there were 4,498 total accidents in Boston. Of these accidents, 68 involved serious and severe injuries, 729 involved minor injuries, and 16 were traffic fatalities.
While we understand that accidents can happen anywhere due to a multitude of reasons, it is imperative you understand your rights as they relate to your ability to seek justice by filing a car accident lawsuit with the help of one of our trusted Boston car accident lawyers.
What Are the Most Common Causes Of Auto Accidents In Boston?
Motor vehicle accidents pose significant dangers to everyone on the road. Unfortunately, there are many Boston drivers who do not follow the rules and laws of the road and drive recklessly. When a driver does not uphold their duty to operate their motor vehicle in a reasonably safe manner, they are putting themselves and those sharing the roads with them at risk of being hurt in a crash.
Inexperienced drivers may cause accidents due to their lack of familiarity with handling various driving situations and their tendency to engage in risky behaviors. According to the most recent data from MassDOT, between 2013 and 2017, there were 41,022 non-fatal single-vehicle crashes involving young drivers (under the age of 25) with 1,358 resulting in fatal or suspected serious injuries.
Any number of factors can come together to cause a car accident. In fact, multiple circumstances might lead to the same car accident.
Some of the most common causes of car accidents in Boston include:
These causes not only lead to accidents but can result in severe injury, emphasizing the long-lasting impact and potential permanence of harm, especially in alcohol-related crashes.
You might not know what caused your car wreck. In fact, this is fairly common. After all, an accident can happen in the blink of an eye. Additionally, you should never count on the other driver to admit fault.
However, when you work with one of our legal professionals at Sweeney Merrigan Law, we will ensure we collect all key evidence that will help us decipher who may be at fault and what caused your car accident to occur.
Were You or a Loved One Injured In a Car Accident?
Our experienced attorneys will fight to get the full amount you deserve. We’ll listen to your story and explain your options for moving forward.
Depending on the year, anywhere between 25% and 31% of all reported traffic accidents in Boston result in non-fatal injuries.
2020: 775 injury accidents
2019: 1,110 injury accidents
2018: 1,304 injury accidents
2017: 1,546 injury accidents
2016: 1,225 injury accidents
2015: 1,172 injury accidents
2014: 1,229 injury accidents
2013: 1,243 injury accidents
2012: 1,241 injury accidents
Non-fatal injuries aren’t the only consequence of traffic crashes in Bean Town. Statistically speaking, not a month goes by in the city of Boston without a fatal motor vehicle accident. And, interestingly, despite a sizable drop in the number of total crashes on city roads in 2020, the number of car crashes that resulted in a fatality remained steady.
2020: 19 fatal accidents
2019: 19 fatal accidents
2018: 15 fatal accidents
2017: 24 fatal accidents
2016: 28 fatal accidents
2015: 26 fatal accidents
2014: 20 fatal accidents
2013: 19 fatal accidents
2012: 26 fatal accidents
What Types Of Car Accidents Happen Most Often In Boston?
There are a lot of different ways you can be involved in a collision. You could be rear-ended, hit head-on, or even involved in a serious rollover or T-Bone crash. What types of crashes happen most often in the City of Boston, though?
Crash data from the Massachusetts DOT reveals that:
Rear-end collisions occur most frequently, accounting for 36.1% of all traffic accidents in 2020.
Head-on crashes account for anywhere between 2 and 3% of all Bean Town crashes, depending on the year.
Side-impact accidents (taking into account collisions with vehicles traveling in the same and opposite directions) account for one out of every five motor vehicle accidents in Boston.
Hit and run accidents make up anywhere between 7% and 12% of all traffic crashes in Boston in a given year.
Single vehicle accidents are also quite common in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2019, 16.9% of collisions involved a single vehicle. That rate of single vehicle crashes ticked upward in 2020, when 25.4% of crashes only involved one automobile.
Drunk Driving and Distracted Driving Statistics
Any number of things can contribute to a motor vehicle accident in Suffolk County. Many times, these accidents are avoidable, but happen because people make the choice to drive while distracted or drunk.
Crash stats from the Massachusetts DOT reveal that both distracted driving and drunk driving are big problems in the city of Boston.
Distracted Driving Accidents:
Between 2016 and 2019, there were a total of 1,028 accidents involving distracted drivers. That’s about 257 accidents (and countless injuries and deaths) that could have been avoided every year. In 2020, there were fewer distracted driving accidents (144), but that year also saw a decline in the overall number of collisions.
Drunk Driving Accidents:
Between 2018 and 2020, there were 393 drunk driving car accidents in Boston, contributing to fatal crashes and highlighting the severe impact of alcohol-impaired driving. That averages out to about 131 a year. Interestingly, while total collisions declined in 2020, the rate at which those accidents involved an impaired driver did not.
Drunk driving accidents have remained consistent, despite other fluctuations in data. These accidents often result in traumatic injuries, underscoring the devastating consequences of alcohol-impaired driving.
Where Do Most Car Crashes Happen In Boston, MA?
While auto accidents can unfold anywhere in the city of Boston, certain stretches of roads and intersections are simply more dangerous than others. This can be due to several factors like higher rates of traffic or less police presence, making Boston drivers more likely to speed or drive recklessly.
Regardless of why an area may be more dangerous than another, it is crucial you have a general understanding of where these places are in the city of Boston so you may try to avoid them if possible. The risk of encountering negligent behavior from other drivers in these areas cannot be overstated.
Crash data from the Massachusetts DOT shows that these are where auto accidents tend to happen in Boston:
Morton Street & Harvard Street
Gallivan Boulevard & Adams Street
Gallivan Boulevard & Granite Avenue
Massachusetts Avenue Connector & Frontage Road
Gallivan Boulevard & Dorchester Avenue
Morton Street & Gallivan Boulevard
Riverway & Longwood Avenue
An investigation by NBC10 in Boston also found that Columbia Road at the Southeast Expressway and North Washington Street at Central Artery are also among the most dangerous crossroads in the city, simply due to the fact that a lot of accidents happen there, contributing to the overall traffic fatality rate in the region. If you were harmed in a car accident while driving in any of the above areas, or any other roadway in Boston, you have the legal right to pursue fair compensation by filing a lawsuit.
When you file a car accident claim, you may be eligible to recover compensation for the damages and losses you may have suffered due to the negligence of the at-fault party.
Meet the Personal Injury Attorneys at Sweeney Merrigan Law, LLP
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