Pay Heed To The Top 5 Most Dangerous Highways In MA

These days, we are SO mobile and on the go as Americans travel billions of cumulative interstate miles each and every day. Statistically, accidents are almost a certainty. Statistics show a report by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about 39 thousand people lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes; an increase of 7% from the year before, however, many traffic crashes and subsequent fatalities are avoidable.

In several instances, drivers were either speeding, impaired by alcohol, not wearing a seat belt, or a combination of those three elements in question. Locally, the speed limit on interstate highways should NOT exceed 65 miles per hour. Recently, I was on I-88 in New York's Schenectady county, and I saw some cars flying as they were probably going over 85 miles per hour, a recipe for disaster, but I can best describe this particular highway as "desolate" in nature in it's over 140 mile stretch from Rotterdam to Binghamton. In my opinion, I-88 needs more police presence.

In the long run, highway driving can lead to more serious or fatal accidents than on other roadways because vehicles are traveling at much greater speeds. And how! Here is a bright spot in this ongoing problem: President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has earmarked billions of dollars for programs that will improve road safety in the U.S. which will improve physical infrastructure, vehicle safety, and data collection.

According to Stacker's web site, they recently collected ranked data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System which was compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Here are the top 5 Massachusetts highways that had the most fatalities from auto crashes in 2020. And if you are wondering, Interstate 90 (The Massachusetts Turnpike) did NOT make this dreaded list and for us, that's a good thing being that western Mass utilizes this highway in high capacity!

1) INTERSTATE 195: This 45 mile stretch which begins in neighboring Providence, Rhode Island and ends arounds Wareham at the junction of I-495 in the outskirts of Cape Cod. Many travelers from Connecticut and New York also connect with this highway for a getaway in The Bay State's shoreline, but the statistics showed the accident rate remains the highest in the "so-called" shortcut to the Cape.

2) INTERSTATE 93: This highway encompasses three states starting in Boston and heads north to Caledonia, Vermont. In Massachusetts, travelling this stretch during rush hours has been described as "nightmarish" as drivers from neighboring New Hampshire utilize this road for visits to bean town and beyond. Constant construction adds to more frustration for those behind the wheel as 93 is the 2nd worst in New England.

3) INTERSTATE 495 NORTH

4) INTERSTATE 495 SOUTH: Also known as "The Blue Star Highway", BOTH directions are treacherous and challenging as this encompasses over 120 miles of terrain from Massachusetts to New Hampshire. It also serves as "The Gateway to Cape Cod" as locals and visitors constantly travel this route for some down time on The Bay State's shoreline. But speeders have a field day AND constant construction makes it difficult for others to navigate this road which is also accident prone in many ways.

5) INTERSTATE 95 NORTHBOUND: Many say this is a confusing and difficult highway to navigate especially as you head north where one wrong turn can lead you in the opposite direction. as motorists must make a sharp, clockwise curve at exit 26 (Canton, MA) as this route is also a popular destination to the Granite state. Plus, this interstate merges with I-195, I-295 and I-495 throughout New England. Rhode Island and Connecticut drivers find this as an easy route that will lead them to Massachusetts

On the average, there are about 10 crashes on each of these highways that do NOT bring a positive end result.

BOTTOM LINE: Be careful out there (best said by the late, GREAT Michael Conrad on "Hill Street Blues") and it's times like these I wish I was once again a pedestrian!

(Photo credits: Interstate 88 courtesy of Wikipedia, I93 & 95 junction courtesy of Kenneth Zirkel. Some information obtained in this article courtesy of www.wikipedia.org)