These Are the 14 Intersections Where You’re Most Likely to Get Hit By a Car

The District Department of Transportation, in its annual report to the DC Council, has identified the city’s most perilous intersections for pedestrians. The agency does not disclose how many of the District’s pedestrian-involved incidents occurred at the 14 leading crossings, but it does reveal that vehicular collisions are on the rise across town.

DC recorded 21,526 vehicular collisions in 2014, up from 19,454 the year before. Of last year’s crashes, 1,171 involved pedestrians, while 842 involved cyclists. Based on statistics going back three years, DDOT was able to identify the 14 intersections with the greatest frequency of collisions that took out at least one pedestrian:

• Ninth and U streets, Northwest
• Wisconsin Avenue and M Street, Northwest
• Minnesota Avenue and Benning Road, Northeast
• 14th and Irving streets, Northwest
• H and North Capitol streets
• 14th Street and Columbia Road, Northwest
• Seventh and H streets, Northwest
• 16th and L streets, Northwest
• 19th and M streets, Northwest
• Georgia and New Hampshire avenues, Northwest
• Martin Luther King Avenue and Howard Road, Southeast
• Benning Road and E Capitol Street
• 18th Street and Adams Mill Road, Northwest
• 14th and I streets, Northwest

Some of the intersections have been upgraded in the past few years with new traffic signals, while others are being studied, according to DDOT’s oversight report. Mayor Muriel Bowser recently signed on to “Vision Zero,” a platform that aims to eliminate pedestrian deaths that has also been popularized by New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. On Monday, Bowser announced a $5 million project at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X avenues, Southeast, which has seen 90 car crashes and 40 crash-related injuries since 2012. The planned improvements include new pavement markings, traffic signals, bike facilities, and pedestrian signals.

Benjamin Freed

Staff Writer

Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.