A list of the most dangerous intersections in Barrie has been released and, as one might expect, they consist of the most heavily used routes in the city.
In 2021, the intersection of Mapleview Drive East and Park Place had the highest number of reported collisions.
The second highest collision count occurred at the intersection of Cedar Pointe Drive and Dunlop Street West.
That was followed by Cundles Road East and St. Vincent Street, Dunlop Street West and Ferndale Drive North, and Bayfield Street and Cundles Road West to round out the top five.
Barrie police communications co-ordinator Jennett Mays told BarrieToday there's a common theme with the routes and that police do monitor them more because of the higher potential for collisions.
“What they all have in common is they are among the busiest intersections in the city and some of the most popular travel routes,” Mays said. “These areas are well known to our enforcement and our traffic services are there paying attention to those intersections.”
Officers from the Barrie police traffic unit respond to hundreds of collisions that take place on Barrie streets each year, and hundreds more that come to the Collision Reporting Centre on Fairview Road.
“We retain the data and release the lists not to shame the area or the drivers there, but rather we hope people will see that these intersections can be an issue and to approach them with caution when approaching them,” Mays said.
Dave Chalut is the operations director for Domino's Pizza Barrie and oversees the four stores located throughout the city.
Chalut agrees with the list, as he and his drivers see much of what happens on the city’s roads. He even explains why the Mapleview/Park Place intersection is placed in the top spot.
“Luckily for us, with the location of our stores, our delivery drivers can avoid much of the list. For example, the No. 1 intersection identified, our drivers would virtually never go, because Highway 400 is the divider between our southeast and southwest locations,” Chalut told BarrieToday.
“However, I travel there frequently and shop at Costco every weekend," he added. "In my opinion, the biggest issue there is the lack of lane markings through the intersection, causing people to drift lanes and cause accidents.”
Chalut’s busiest location, and where he has an office, is at the corner of Cundles and St. Vincent, where he says he is all too familiar with emergency crew activity.
“The accidents at this intersection are so frequent that I almost don’t notice them anymore,” he said. “Police, fire and ambulance are there what seems like multiple times per week.
"Even the slightest bit of inclement weather is almost guaranteed to result in an accident.”
Barrie police say that while drivers may not be able to avoid the aforementioned intersections in their travels, they can ensure to drive safely at all times while driving through them.
Some tips to keep in mind when driving through intersections:
* When approaching an intersection with a traffic light that has been green for a while, be prepared to stop if it turns yellow. Upon an approach to a yellow light, you should stop your vehicle if you can do so safely.
* When approaching an intersection that is blocked with traffic, do not enter the intersection until the traffic clears.
* If you are preparing to turn left at a busy intersection, you can pull into the intersection, but must wait for oncoming traffic to clear before turning.
* Be aware that other road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, may all be travelling near your vehicle. Make sure you are aware of their placement and use your signals to let them know when you’re planning to turn or change lanes.
* Drive according to the conditions. If conditions or visibility are poor, slow down, give yourself plenty of space between vehicles, and pay attention to the road without distractions.
