Rural Town is Home to Maine’s Deadliest Intersection Right Now

Any time you get behind the wheel of a vehicle, there is potential danger on the road. Across the country, an average of 32,000 people lose their lives to car accidents each year. Thankfully, Maine has one of the lowest percentage of car accident fatalities in the nation. But that number spiked in 2022, according to data shared by the Joe Bornstein law firm. 

When it comes to avoiding accidents in Maine, some believe it's as simple as avoiding the most dangerous roads and intersections. Most people would assume the most dangerous and potentially deadly intersections in the state are located in populous areas. But as it turns out, that's not the case.

According to data compiled from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Maine's deadliest intersection right now is located in the rural town of Palmyra. The intersection where US Route-2 meets SR-152 has been named the most deadly.

The data shows that three fatal traffic accidents have occurred at this intersection in the last calendar year. That's the most of any single intersection in Maine during that time frame. Other intersections throughout Maine have seen more general traffic accidents, but none have seen as many fatalities.

Detailed data from the NHTSA shows that busier intersections often end up being safer than rural intersections. Several factors play a role in that, including poor road design with more blind spots, more erratic or dangerous driver behavior, as well as first responders taking longer to show up to the scene of an accident.

Despite the morbid statistics, New England as a whole is still a very safe place to drive. None of the states in New England are home to any of the 40 most deadly intersections in the nation. New Jersey and Florida have the highest number of intersections on that list. Check out the entire list right here.