Carbondale, PA has grim car accident statistics. Although Lackawanna County only has 1.6% of Pennsylvania’s population, it has over 2.0% of the state’s traffic accidents. This means that Lackawanna County had 418 more accidents in 2020 than it should have based on its population.
Even worse, Lackawanna County had 2.0% of the state’s fatal crashes in 2020. The county had four to five more traffic fatalities than it should have for its population.
The traffic accidents in and around Carbondale happened primarily on four roads and one intersection. Here is a glimpse into some of the most dangerous roads and intersections in Carbondale, PA.
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Traffic Accidents in Carbondale, PA
In 2020, Lackawanna County had 2,119 traffic accidents. Most of these accidents only caused property damage. But 929 of these accidents caused at least one injury and 20 accidents caused at least one death. In 2020, 22 people died in traffic accidents in the county, including two pedestrians.
These statistics represented an improvement over prior years. Traffic accidents in Lackawanna County declined in 2020 compared to 2019.
Bear in mind that 2020 was an unusual traffic year. In 2020, the U.S. experienced a 13% drop in traffic.
Many states, including Pennsylvania, implemented a long shutdown in the spring due to COVID-19. The travel industry was depressed due to many hotels and attractions shutting down. Many workers stopped commuting when they shifted to remote work.
Carbondale saw a greater-than-expected drop in traffic accidents with a 16% decline. Over the same period, Carbondale’s traffic fatalities doubled. While most of the country experienced an increase in traffic fatalities in 2020, very few saw their traffic fatalities double in the way that Carbondale did.
Most Dangerous Roads and Intersections in Carbondale, PA
While car accidents happen throughout Carbondale, crash data collected over the past 15 years show that the accidents that caused deaths and injuries tended to cluster around four roads and one intersection.
Brooklyn Street/US-6 BUS/8th Avenue
Brooklyn Street provides one of the major routes into the city from the south. Also called US-6 BUS and the Scranton Carbondale Highway, this road is the only U.S. highway to enter Carbondale’s city center. When it reaches the city, the road begins to turn east, eventually becoming 8th Avenue.
Brooklyn Street/US-6 BUS is a two-lane undivided highway south of the city limits. It has no passing lane or center turn lane. The posted speed limit outside of the city is 35 miles per hour. This road has several curves and hills.
The terrain limits visibility in many spots along this road. Road signs prohibit overtaking slower vehicles. But impatient drivers ignore these signs and make dangerous and illegal passing maneuvers.
When it crosses the city limits, the speed limit drops to 25 miles per hour. Many drivers miss or ignore this change and speed down the highway.
Over the past 15 years, this road has been the site of four fatal accidents and over 20 injury-only accidents. This makes Brooklyn Street/US-6 BUS/8th Avenue the most dangerous street in Carbondale.
Fallbrook Street/PA-106
Fallbrook Street/PA-106 enters the town from the northwest. This state highway connects Carbondale to Lenoxville.
As it enters the city, Fallbrook Street/PA-106 is a two-lane undivided highway with no passing lanes or a center turn lane. The posted speed limit on this narrow and winding road is 25 miles per hour.
This road had three fatal accidents and dozens of non-fatal accidents in the past 15 years. This road also has the distinction of being the site of Carbondale’s only multiple fatality accident since 2005.
In 2008, two drunk drivers collided just outside of the city limits on Fallbrook Street/PA-106. Two people died, and one suffered injuries.
Belmont Street/PA-171
Belmont Street/PA-171 runs north from Carbondale. PA-171 eventually joins I-81 and US-11 near the New York border.
This major route is a two-lane, undivided highway as it passes through Carbondale. It has no passing lanes or center turn lanes. With a posted speed limit of only 25 miles per hour, drivers make risky passing maneuvers when they try to overtake slower vehicles.
Within the city limits, this road has seen over 10 injury-only accidents. But just north of the city, this road has been the site of three fatal accidents since 2005. One of these fatal accidents resulted in the death of a pedestrian.
US-6
US-6 runs across the width of Pennsylvania from the Ohio border to the New Jersey border. US-6 skirts east of Carbondale, with only a small segment falling within the city limits.
US-6 provides a major route to Carbondale from Scranton. From US-6, you can exit at US-6 BUS or Meredith Street to reach Carbondale. As it passes Carbondale, US-6 is a four-lane, divided highway.
The posted speed limit on US-6 is 65 miles per hour. In Pennsylvania, speed kills. Almost one-third of accidents in Pennsylvania result from speeding.
The two exits leading into Carbondale are only five miles apart. But this short stretch of US-6 had three fatal accidents and over 25 injury-only accidents in the past 15 years.
Canaan Street and US-6 BUS/Roosevelt Highway
East of Carbondale, US-6 BUS/Roosevelt Highway is a hilly and winding road with a posted speed limit of 45 miles per hour. It has no median strip or center turn lane.
Just east of the city, US-6 BUS/Roosevelt Highway merges with Canaan Street. US-6 BUS continues into the city as Canaan Street.
This intersection has a stop sign for traffic on Canaan Street. Cross-traffic on US-6 BUS/Roosevelt Highway does not stop. Visibility from Canaan Street is limited by forests and curves to both the right and left.
Two fatal accidents happened at this merge point in the past 15 years. This makes the intersection the most dangerous in Carbondale.
Navigating the Most Dangerous Roads and Intersections in Carbondale, PA
The roads that see the most accidents in Carbondale are also the city’s busiest. You probably cannot leave or return to Carbondale without driving these roads.
But you can reduce your odds of falling victim to these roads. Reducing your speed, wearing your seatbelt, and paying attention to traffic can improve your chances of avoiding an accident on the most dangerous roads and intersections in Carbondale, PA.To discuss your accident on the roads and intersections of Carbondale, contact Marzzacco Niven & Associates for a free consultation.