The 10 Worst Intersections in the GTA

The streets of Toronto are known for many things. From pop-up supermarkets to street vendors, hidden pathways to sprawling urban sidewalks, the city shares its roads with cars, cyclists and pedestrians alike. Unfortunately, the GTA is also home to some of the worst intersections in all of Canada, where motor collisions are a common occurrence in some parts of the city. Transport Canada has released a subset of its National Collision Database (NCDB) which is a public database containing all police-reported motor vehicle collisions on public roads in Canada. The latest data shows us that across Canada, in the year 2014 alone there were 122,090 collisions involving 219,771 vehicles and 316,451 individuals. Of those individuals, 164,493 were seriously injured and 1,908 were killed. As 2016 reaches its halfway mark in the year, the streets of Toronto have been no stranger to violent collisions, with an increasing number of motor accidents including car and pedestrian interference. With many tight turns and one-way streets, Hino drivers are among those drivers who must be diligent and cautious when making downtown deliveries. Here are the 10 worst intersections in the city that you should avoid if possible.

Lakeshore Blvd. at Lower Jarvis St.

Many drivers will find themselves at this busy intersection, located directly beneath the Gardiner Expressway. In 2013, Lake Shore and Lower Jarvis topped the city’s list of the top 10 intersections with the highest rates for vehicle-on-vehicle collisions. There were 239 collisions between 2009 and 2013 with almost 24,000 vehicles using the intersection over eight hours on any given weekday. This spot in particular remains the worst spot for an accident, with approximately one a week. Factors like ongoing road closures due to construction and rush hour traffic greatly contribute to the increase in collisions, but aggressive drivers who follow too closely behind others, or distracted drivers also play a big role in these mishaps.

Lawrence Ave. E. at Midland Ave.

With 227 collisions reported, this intersection has been voted the second most dangerous intersection. Located just outside the downtown core in Scarborough, Lawrence Ave. East at Midland Ave. sees its fair share of commuter traffic from TTC busses, automobiles and pedestrians at all ours of the day. Unlike Lakeshore Blvd. at Lower Jarvis, this intersection is not complicated to understand on a GPS or map, and collisions in this area are more than likely due to high traffic volume and multiple lanes of approach in both directions.

Lake Shore Blvd. at Spadina Ave.

Once again, Lakeshore Blvd. has made the list at this very busy intersection right in the heart of Toronto's Entertainment District. Home to the Air Canada centre, the Rogers Centre and in proximity to Toronto's Chinatown, the area is generally congested as drivers make their exit into the downtown core for entertainment-related purposes, such as dining, shopping and catching a sports event or concert.

If you find yourself in any of these areas, it is recommended you take a detour where at all possible. Not only will you avoid a cluster of downtown traffic which can take hours to break from, not to mention all of the fuel you are wasting when idle, but you could potentially minimize your risk of a serious accident. Here are the remaining 7 most dangerous intersections in the GTA.

Islington Ave. at Albion Rd. (183 collisions)

Sheppard Ave. at Morningside Ave. (172 collisions)

Weston Rd. at Lawrence Ave. (145 collisions)

St. Clair Ave. at Old Weston Rd. (140 collisions)

Ellesmere Rd. at Morningside Ave. (137 collisions)

Ellesmere Rd. at Bellamy Rd. (118 collisions)

Lake Shore Blvd. at Don Roadway (90 collisions)

Have you been in an accident? Enlist the help of our experts in the Somerville Hino Service Centre by calling us at 1-(877) 650-6296 today.