Glendale is a city with many desirable qualities. In 2013, Glendale earned the title of LA’s Neighborhood of the Year and in 2016, the city was named one of the top 10 places to retire by the Huffington Post. Yet, despite Glendale’s many endearing qualities, many believe the city’s transportation infrastructure remains less than desirable. In fact, Glendale has consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous places to drive for 12 years in a row in Allstate’s Best Drivers Report. Allstate hasn’t been the only one to chime in on Glendale’s driving conditions. Some local residents have gone as far as toGlendale driving hazardous for your health.
At Megeredchian Law, we not only vigorously fight to earn just compensation for accident victims, but we also advocate for transportation safety within the Glendale community. Naturally, the claims made by Allstate, other auto-related agencies, and local residents inspired us to take a deeper dive into the current state of Glendale Transportation. How bad are Glendale roads? The discoveries we made may pleasantly surprise you.
Glendale Ranks Above Average For A Majority Of Collision Types
The following data was pulled from the California Office of Traffic Safety. In total, there are 56 additional cities in the state with populations similar to Glendale (100,001-250,000 residents). Cities are ranked in ascending order with 1/57 being the worst and 57/57 being the best.
| TYPE OF COLLISION | VICTIMS KILLED & INJURED | RANKING |
| Total Fatal and Injury | 1,162 | 41/58 |
| Alcohol Involved | 70 | 53/58 |
| Had Been Drinking Driver < 21 | 3 | 46/58 |
| Had Been Drinking Driver 21 – 34 | 19 | 57/58 |
| Motorcycles | 43 | 50/58 |
| Pedestrians | 74 | 29/58 |
| Pedestrians < 15 | 5 | 49/58 |
| Pedestrians 65+ | 23 | 2/58 |
| Bicyclists | 50 | 29/58 |
| Bicyclists < 15 | 5 | 31/58 |
| Composite | 519 | 52/58 |
| TYPE OF COLLISION | FATAL & INJURY COLLISIONS | RANKING |
| Speed Related | 293 | 33/58 |
| Nighttime (9:00pm – 2:59am) | 78 | 51/58 |
| Hit and Run | 56 | 45/58 |
Thus, stacked against cities of similar populations, Glendale is actually above average in terms of road safety. In total, there were 1162 collisions that resulted in injuries or fatalities in 2016 (the most recent rankings provided by OTS). Glendale also ranks above average for collisions involving alcohol, motorcycle, speeding, night driving, and hit and run incidences.
Glendale does rank as the second worst city in its population bracket for pedestrian accidents involving seniors (23 dangerous/deadly collisions). However, that is the only collision category Glendale ranks below average in. Glendale roads and drivers may not be as bad as they’ve been painted out to be, but there is still much room for improvement. Glendale is not the safest city in it’s population bracket and it certainly is not the safest city in California. It would appear that the city should be using a portion of its budget to improve crosswalk safety and further develop the Be Street Smart Campaign.
The 10 Most Dangerous Intersections In Glendale
In addition to looking at accident totals, we took a deeper dive into the accident data to find out where vehicle crashes were occurring with greater frequency within the Glendale community. A total of 2,104 vehicle related accidents occurred in Glendale in 2016. However, those accidents were not so evenly dispersed throughout the city’s roads. Listed below are the ten most accident prone intersections based on the crash data provided by the California Highway Patrol. The most recent intersection data can be found on our accident map page, which is updated on an annual basis.
1) Colorado St. & Pacific Ave. | 12 Accidents
Located in-between the Golden State Freeway exit and the Glendale Galleria, the intersection of Colorado Street and Pacific Avenue is frequently trafficked at all hours of the day. There were a total of 12 accidents resulting in four injuries in 2016, which makes the location the most dangerous intersection in Glendale.
2) Brand Blvd. & Goode Ave. | 11 Accidents
There are several streets that make multiple appearances on this list and Brand Boulevard is one of them. The intersection of Brand Boulevard and Goode Avenue is located right off of Ventura Freeway. Accidents at this intersection are likely due to the large quantity of vehicles entering city streets from the freeway. Altogether, 11 accidents and six injuries occurred at the junction of Brand Blvd. and Good Ave.
3) Honolulu Ave. & Lowell Ave. | 9 Accidents
Yet another large intersection just off of a freeway, Honolulu Ave. and Lowell Ave. receives a heavy amount of traffic from Foothill Freeway. The intersection was home to nine accidents and seven injuries in 2016.
4) Brand Blvd. & Sanchez Dr. | 9 Accidents
While the second most dangerous intersection in the city is host to an off-ramp for Ventura Freeway, the fourth most dangerous intersection is home to an on-ramp for Ventura Freeway. Brand Blvd. & Sanchez Dr. sits just south of Brand Blvd. and Good Ave. For this reason, this area as a whole is particularly troublesome for Glendale drivers. A total of nine accidents and six injuries occurred at Brand Boulevard and Sanchez Drive.
5) Glenoaks Blvd. & Highland Ave. | 9 Accidents
Glenoaks is a major artery for transportation running through Los Angeles County. Nearby Toll Middle School and Hoover High School can both be accessed from Highland Avenue. It’s possible a number of crashes at this intersection are a result of commutes to and from school. The junction was the site of nine accidents and five injuries.
6) Glenoaks Blvd. & Pacific Ave. | 8 Accidents
Much like Brand Boulevard, Broadway is yet another city street with multiple appearances on the list. The intersection of Glenoaks Boulevard and Pacific Avenue was home to eight accidents and four injuries in 2016.
7) Brand Blvd. & Broadway | 8 Accidents
Brand Boulevard and Broadway are both major streets in Glendale’s infrastructure, which increases the probability of an accident where the two streets collide. Eight accidents resulting in two injuries took place at the junction of Brand Boulevard and Broadway.
8) Pacific Ave. & Broadway | 8 Accidents
Just .9 miles north of Glenoaks Boulevard and Pacific Avenue is the eighth most dangerous intersection in Glendale. A total of eight accidents and one injury occurred at the crossing of Pacific Avenue and Broadway.
9) Glendale Ave. & Broadway | 8 Accidents
The intersection of Glendale Avenue and Broadway sits on the corner of the city courthouse and just a block away from the Glendale Police Department. Eight accidents took place at this location, which resulted in one injury.
10) Glendale Ave. & California Ave. | 8 Accidents
The crossroads where Glendale Avenue intersects California Avenue is situated just two blocks north of Glendale Avenue and Broadway. The intersection is surrounded by commerce with strip malls on the northeast and southwest corners, and a Whole Foods in the northwest corner. Eight accidents occurred on Glendale Ave. and California Ave., making it the 10th most dangerous intersection on the list of the 10 most dangerous intersections.
Stay Safe Behind The Wheel
Thanks to a number of state grants and city initiatives, traffic safety has significantly improved over the last ten years. Still, there is much work to be done. While you should remain alert behind the wheel at all times, Megeredchian Law advises those driving through any of the aforementioned intersections to proceed with additional caution. An accident can occur at any place at any time and vigilance is the best preventative measure a driver can take to avoid one.
Legal Assistance When You Need It
Megeredchian Law is here for you should you find yourself the victim of an auto related accident. Alex Megeredchian can help ease the burden of recovery by fighting on your behalf for just compensation. Alex’s aggressive, experienced, and compassionate legal representation has helped earn hundreds of accident victims the financial relief they deserve. Contact Megeredchian Law today for a free initial case review. We win when you need us most.