Intersections are among the most dangerous places on the road. With vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians converging from multiple directions, the potential for accidents is high. Some intersections pose significantly greater risk than others. In Delaware, certain crossroads consistently see higher numbers of crashes, injuries, and even fatalities.

To update our rankings for the most dangerous intersections in the state, we analyzed 2024 traffic accident data, applying a point-based ranking system.

• Non-reportable accident = 1 point
• Property damage accidents = 3 points
• Personal injury accidents = 7 points
• Fatalities = 10 points

In total, we analyzed 17,899 accidents to determine which intersections pose the greatest risks to drivers and pedestrians alike.

Why This Information Matters

In this article, we break down the rankings into four key categories:

1. The most dangerous intersections overall
2. Intersections where you are most likely to suffer an injury or fatality
3. Intersections with the highest number of fatalities
4. Intersections with the most total accidents

How We Collected and Analyzed the Data

The data for this study was sourced from public crash records available on Delaware.gov. To ensure accuracy and consistency, we exported the crash data into a spreadsheet and developed a program to group all accidents occurring within a 300-foot radius of each other. This allowed us to consolidate incidents that happened at the same intersection or in close proximity.

Once the accident groupings were established, each accident type was assigned a weighted value (as outlined above). Using this system, we calculated a total score for each intersection, ranking them based on their cumulative danger levels. This methodology provides a clear, data-driven approach to identifying Delaware's most hazardous intersections.

Top 10 Most Dangerous Intersections in Delaware

Route 13 and Norman Eskridge

Based on our analysis, the following intersections ranked as the most dangerous in Delaware for 2024:

1. Route 13 and Norman Eskridge Highway – 145 points
   • Non Reportable Accidents- 10
   • Property Damage Only Accidents- 38 
   • Personal Injury Accidents- 3
   • Fatal Accidents- 0
   • Total Accidents- 51
2. Ogletown Road and Library Avenue, Newark – 108 points
   • Non Reportable Accidents- 2
   • Property Damage Only Accidents- 33 
   • Personal Injury Accidents- 1
   • Fatal Accidents- 0
   • Total Accidents- 36
3. Route 13 and Frenchtown Road, New Castle – 99 points
   • Non Reportable Accidents- 3
   • Property Damage Only Accidents- 25 
   • Personal Injury Accidents- 3
   • Fatal Accidents- 0
   • Total Accidents- 31
4. Route 13 and Voshell Mill Road, Camden – 95 points
   • Non Reportable Accidents- 4
   • Property Damage Only Accidents- 14 
   • Personal Injury Accidents- 7
   • Fatal Accidents- 0
   • Total Accidents- 25
5. 4th Street and Lincoln Street, Wilmington – 94 points
   • Non Reportable Accidents- 1
   • Property Damage Only Accidents- 3 
   • Personal Injury Accidents- 12
   • Fatal Accidents- 0
   • Total Accidents- 16
6. Route 13 and Camden Wyoming Avenue – 92 points
   • Non Reportable Accidents- 5
   • Property Damage Only Accidents- 15 
   • Personal Injury Accidents- 6
   • Fatal Accidents- 0
   • Total Accidents- 26
7. Walker Road and Saulsbury Road, Dover – 87 points
   • Non Reportable Accidents- 5
   • Property Damage Only Accidents- 4 
   • Personal Injury Accidents- 10
   • Fatal Accidents- 0
   • Total Accidents- 19
8. Kirkwood Highway and Limestone Road, Marshallton – 86 points
   • Non Reportable Accidents- 10
   • Property Damage Only Accidents- 9
   • Personal Injury Accidents- 7
   • Fatal Accidents- 0
   • Total Accidents- 26
9. King Street and 5th Street, Wilmington – 85 points
   • Non Reportable Accidents- 9
   • Property Damage Only Accidents- 2 
   • Personal Injury Accidents- 10
   • Fatal Accidents- 0
   • Total Accidents- 21
10. Route 1 and Postal Lane, Rehoboth – 84 points
    • Non Reportable Accidents- 7
    • Property Damage Only Accidents- 21
    • Personal Injury Accidents- 2
    • Fatal Accidents- 0
    • Total Accidents- 30

These intersections stand out due to high accident frequency and severity. Many of them are located along major highways and busy urban centers, where congestion, traffic flow, and road design contribute to increased risk. Notably, Route 13 appears multiple times on the list, suggesting it is one of the most hazardous corridors in the state.

Intersections Where You Are Most Likely to Get Injured

4th St and Lincoln St

While the previous section ranked intersections based on total accident scores, this section focuses on locations with the highest number of personal injury accidents and fatalities. Surprisingly there were no fatalities at any of these intersections. These intersections are particularly hazardous due to the severity of crashes occurring there:

1. 4th Street and Lincoln Street, Wilmington – 12 personal injury accidents
2. Walker Road and Saulsbury Road, Dover – 10 personal injury accidents
3. King Street and 5th Street, Wilmington – 10 personal injury accidents
4. Middletown Warwick Road and Merrimac Avenue, Middletown – 9 personal injury accidents
5. Wyoming Road and Library Avenue, Newark – 8 personal injury accidents
6. Westcoats Road and Marsh Road, Lewes – 8 personal injury accidents
7. Lake and Broad Street, Middletown – 8 personal injury accidents
8. Route 13 and Voshell Mill Road, Camden – 7 personal injury accidents
9. Kirkwood Highway and Limestone Road, Marshallton – 7 personal injury accidents
10. Chestnut Hill Road and College Avenue, Newark – 7 personal injury accidents
11. Summit Bridge Road and Churchtown Road, Mt. Pleasant – 7 personal injury accidents
12. Bunker Hill Road and Sandhill Drive, Middletown – 7 personal injury accidents
13. Market Street and New Sweden Street, Wilmington – 7 personal injury accidents

These intersections see a higher likelihood of serious injuries, often due to high traffic volume, poor visibility, or pedestrian activity. Unlike the previous rankings, which factored in all crash types, this list highlights locations where the consequences of a crash are often more severe. The prevalence of urban intersections suggests that high pedestrian and cyclist traffic may contribute to the increased injury rate.

Delaware's Most Deadly Intersections

Christiana Rd and Harmony Rd

While injury accidents are concerning, fatal crashes highlight the most dangerous locations where lives are lost. Since Delaware is such a small state, there were no intersections that had multiple fatalities, so to determine the top ten we used the scoring system and applied it to all intersections that had a fatality:

1. Christiana and Harmony Road, Christiana
   • Non Reportable Accidents- 4
   • Property Damage Only Accidents- 10
   • Personal Injury Accidents- 1
   • Fatal Accidents- 1
   • Total Accidents- 16
2. Route 13 and Quigley Boulevard, New Castle 
   • Non Reportable Accidents- 2
   • Property Damage Only Accidents- 9
   • Personal Injury Accidents- 1
   • Fatal Accidents- 1
   • Total Accidents- 13
3. Route 9 and West Avenue, New Castle
   • Non Reportable Accidents- 4
   • Property Damage Only Accidents- 6
   • Personal Injury Accidents- 1
   • Fatal Accidents- 1
   • Total Accidents- 12
4. Route 13 and Camp Road, Laurel 
   • Non Reportable Accidents- 0
   • Property Damage Only Accidents- 2
   • Personal Injury Accidents- 3
   • Fatal Accidents- 1
   • Total Accidents- 6
5. East Chestnut Hill Road and Gender Road, Brookside 
   • Non Reportable Accidents- 1
   • Property Damage Only Accidents- 5
   • Personal Injury Accidents- 1
   • Fatal Accidents- 1
   • Total Accidents- 8
6. Route 13 and Starbucks Entrance South of Sweet Corn Lane, Smyrna 
   • Non Reportable Accidents- 2
   • Property Damage Only Accidents- 0
   • Personal Injury Accidents- 3
   • Fatal Accidents- 1
   • Total Accidents- 6
7. Salem Church Road and Chestnut Hill Road, Brookside 
   • Non Reportable Accidents- 0
   • Property Damage Only Accidents- 3
   • Personal Injury Accidents- 2
   • Fatal Accidents- 1
   • Total Accidents- 6
8. Route 13 and Rustic Lane, Dover 
   • Non Reportable Accidents- 6
   • Property Damage Only Accidents- 4
   • Personal Injury Accidents- 0
   • Fatal Accidents- 1
   • Total Accidents- 11
9. Route 113 and Bramhall Street, Georgetown 
   • Non Reportable Accidents- 1
   • Property Damage Only Accidents- 5
   • Personal Injury Accidents- 0
   • Fatal Accidents- 1
   • Total Accidents- 7
10. Christiana and I-95, Christiana 
    • Non Reportable Accidents- 0
    • Property Damage Only Accidents- 5
    • Personal Injury Accidents- 0
    • Fatal Accidents- 1
    • Total Accidents- 6

Intersections with the Most Total Accidents

While previous sections focused on severity, this section highlights intersections with the highest overall number of crashes. These locations experience frequent collisions, making them among the busiest and riskiest in the state:

1. Route 13 and Norman Eskridge Highway, Seaford – 51 total accidents
2. Ogletown Road and Library Avenue, Newark – 36 total accidents
3. Route 113 and Laurel Road, Millsboro – 33 total accidents
4. Route 13 and Christiana, New Castle – 31 total accidents
5. Route 1 and Postal Lane, Rehoboth Beach – 30 total accidents
6. Route 113 and Front Street, Milford – 29 total accidents
7. Christiana and College Avenue, Newark – 28 total accidents
8. Kirkwood and Centre Road, Wilmington – 27 total accidents
9. Limestone Road and Kirkwood Highway, Marshallton – 26 total accidents
10. Route 13 and Camden Wyoming Avenue, Camden – 26 total accidents
11. Route 13 and South State Street, Dover – 26 total accidents

Many of these intersections are located in high-traffic areas, where congestion, merging lanes, and frequent stop-and-go conditions increase the likelihood of accidents. Intersections along Route 13, Route 113, and Kirkwood Highway consistently appear on these lists.

Potential Safety Improvements

To reduce accidents at these high-risk intersections, a combination of infrastructure upgrades, enforcement strategies, and driver awareness initiatives should be considered:

• Traffic Signal Optimization: Adjusting traffic light timing, adding protected turn signals, and improving synchronization can help manage traffic flow and reduce red-light running.
• Pedestrian Safety Enhancements: Installing pedestrian countdown timers, better crosswalk markings, and pedestrian refuge islands can help protect walkers and cyclists.
• Infrastructure Upgrades: Adding roundabouts, improving lane markings, and redesigning intersections to minimize conflict points can enhance overall safety.
• Public Awareness Campaigns: Educating drivers on high-risk intersections, defensive driving techniques, and the dangers of distracted driving can promote safer behaviors on the road.

By implementing these strategies, Delaware can work toward reducing accident rates and making its most hazardous intersections safer for all road users.

Conclusion

Understanding Delaware's most dangerous intersections is crucial for improving road safety and reducing accidents. By identifying high-risk locations through comprehensive crash data, this analysis provides valuable insights into where drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians should exercise extra caution.

At The Law Office of Trapp Nicholl, we are dedicated to keeping our community informed about roadway dangers and safety improvements. By analyzing accident trends and advocating for enhanced traffic measures, we strive to contribute to safer roads for all Delaware residents. Awareness is key—whether through better infrastructure, responsible driving, or updated legal knowledge, every step toward safety helps reduce accidents and protect lives.