Every year, car accidents cause significant injuries, tragic fatalities, and costly property damage across Alabama and the US. Understanding the locations where these collisions are most frequent in the city of Auburn can empower local drivers to be more aware of high-risk areas and take proactive steps to stay safe on the roads.

Understanding Common Accident Sites in Auburn

While motor vehicle accidents can theoretically happen anywhere, certain areas in Auburn see a consistently higher frequency of collisions compared to other parts of the city. These “accident hotspots” can be specific intersections known for frequent crashes, busy stretches of highway, or even particular types of roads.

In Auburn, Alabama, some of the most common locations for car accidents include:

Busy intersections: Junctions with complex traffic light systems, limited visibility due to tall buildings or dense foliage, or a high volume of turning vehicles can be particularly risky accident sites in Auburn. Collisions often occur when impatient drivers fail to properly yield the right of way or misjudge the speed of oncoming traffic. Intersections along major arteries like Opelika Road, College Street, and University Drive have some of the highest rates of crashes in the city.
High-traffic roads: Highways and interstates like I-85 that run through the Auburn area, especially during morning and evening rush hours, are prone to serious accidents due to increased congestion, speeding, and potentially impatient drivers weaving between lanes. Rear-end collisions are extremely common on these fast-moving thoroughfares when traffic comes to an abrupt halt and drivers cannot stop in time. Long stretches of highway like I-85 between Auburn and Montgomery see a concerning number of high-speed crashes.
University areas: With a large student population in the tens of thousands, streets near and around the sprawling Auburn University campus can experience a notable rise in accidents involving younger drivers or those unfamiliar with navigating the city roads. Distracted driving, often due to mobile phone usage, is frequently a contributing factor in these crashes as students attempt to multitask behind the wheel. Collisions are most common during the busy fall and spring semesters.
Neighborhood streets: While quiet residential streets may seem lower-risk compared to busy commercial areas, fender benders, and more serious collisions can still occur surprisingly frequently on Auburn’s neighborhood roads. Accidents in these areas commonly involve speeding, distracted driving, or improperly backing out of driveways and striking passing vehicles or pedestrians. Low-speed collisions are most typical in densely populated residential areas with on-street parking and children at play.
Rural roads: Although Auburn is a bustling urban area, rural roadways on the outskirts of the city pose unique dangers that contribute to serious accidents. Factors like higher speed limits, lack of street lighting, limited visibility due to curves and hills, and even wandering wildlife can increase risks. Head-on collisions are not uncommon on rural two-lane highways near Auburn when vehicles cross the center line.

Factors Contributing to Crashes in These Auburn Locations Convictions

While the specific factors contributing to auto accidents can vary considerably depending on the exact location in Auburn, traffic safety experts have identified some common themes that tend to emerge in the data. These include:

Traffic congestion: Heavy traffic flow on Auburn roads, especially during rush hour, can lead to frustration, aggressive tailgating, and risky lane changes as impatient drivers attempt to get to their destinations faster. This type of behavior significantly increases the chance of rear-end crashes, sideswipes, and multi-vehicle pileups. Patience often wears thin in stop-and-go, bumper-to-bumper situations, causing otherwise cautious drivers to take unwise risks.
Distracted driving: In our technology-driven world, distracted driving has become a leading cause of accidents in Auburn and nationwide. Using cell phones to text or check social media, eating, applying makeup, and adjusting in-car entertainment systems all divert a driver’s attention from the critical task of safely operating their vehicle. Taking your eyes off the road for even a few seconds can result in traveling hundreds of feet essentially blind, making collisions far more likely.
Poor visibility: Alabama weather conditions like heavy rain, dense fog, or smoke from wildfires can greatly reduce visibility, as can factors like poorly placed signage, burnt out streetlights, or overgrown vegetation. When drivers cannot clearly see the road ahead or other vehicles around them, the risk of misjudging distances or failing to react in time increases sharply. Maintaining an extra buffer space between your vehicle and others is essential in poor visibility conditions.
Traffic violations: Simple traffic law violations are responsible for a staggering number of crashes in the Auburn area each year. Common offenses like running red lights, failing to yield the right of way when turning left, ignoring stop signs, and making improper turns or unsafe lane changes at intersections are all major causes of serious collisions. Aggressive driving and excessive speeding often go hand-in-hand with these violations to create a particularly dangerous situation.
Speeding: Driving too fast for road conditions plays a role in the majority of auto accidents across Alabama, but speeding is an especially common factor in high-speed crashes on interstates and highways in the Auburn area. Excessive speeding reduces the amount of time a driver has to perceive and react to hazards, increases vehicle stopping distance, and leads to more forceful impacts and severe injuries when collisions do occur.
Impaired driving: Despite years of public safety campaigns and increasingly harsh legal penalties, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol remains a serious problem in Auburn and one of the top contributors to injury-causing and fatal crashes. Impaired drivers have slower reflexes, reduced coordination, and poor judgment – a potentially deadly combination. Driving while impaired by any substance is never worth the risk.

Tips for Staying Safe on Auburn Roads

Knowing the locations where accidents are most common and the contributing factors that tend to cause them allow Auburn drivers to take proactive steps to reduce their own risk and help keep others safe. Consider the following tips:

Plan your route ahead of time: Familiarize yourself with the Auburn roads you’ll be traveling, especially if you’re new to the area or heading somewhere you don’t often go. Look for potential hazards like congested intersections, highway construction zones, or high-speed areas and plan your route to avoid them if possible. Allow extra time in case of delays so you don’t feel rushed.
Always use defensive driving techniques: Defensive driving is all about staying alert and proactively anticipating the actions of other motorists and road users. Aim to maintain a safe following distance at all times, avoid distractions inside your vehicle, and consistently use your turn signals well in advance of turning or changing lanes to alert others. Never assume another driver will yield the right of way, even if legally required to do so.
Obey all traffic laws and posted signage: Always come to a complete stop at red lights and stop signs in Auburn rather than attempting to “beat the light” or rolling through. Yield the right of way to other vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians when necessary and avoid making illegal turns, lane changes or passing maneuvers. Obey the posted speed limit and adjust your speed further downward if needed due to traffic, weather, or road conditions.
Eliminate distractions while driving: Resolve to put your cell phone away and out of reach while driving so you won’t be tempted to text, make calls, or check notifications. Avoid other distracting activities like eating, personal grooming, tending to children or pets in the back seat, or focusing on conversations with passengers. Commit to giving the road and the vehicles around you your complete and undivided attention.
Give large vehicles extra space: Auburn’s roads are shared by massive commercial trucks and buses in addition to passenger vehicles. These large, heavy vehicles have limited visibility, require more room to maneuver, and take far longer to slow down or come to a stop. Avoid lingering in their blind spots, cut them extra slack in heavy traffic, and maintain a greater following distance than you would behind a standard vehicle.
Perform regular vehicle maintenance: Neglecting basic vehicle maintenance can contribute to mechanical failure and accidents, so be vigilant about keeping your car in safe operating condition. Regularly check your tire pressure and tread depth, top off fluids, and address any dashboard warning lights that appear. Have your brakes, lights, windshield wipers, and turn signals inspected routinely, and make any necessary repairs promptly.

Unfortunately, even the most careful and conscientious drivers cannot completely eliminate the risk of being involved in an accident. Car crashes remain an unfortunate reality, and the resulting injuries and expenses can impact every aspect of a victim’s life.

Injured in a Car Crash in Auburn? Contact Our Seasoned Auto Accident Lawyers

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a car accident through no fault of your own, it’s critical to seek guidance from an experienced personal injury lawyer who can protect your rights. The skilled attorneys at Alsobrook Law Group have been fighting for the injured in Auburn and across Alabama for decades, and we are ready to go to work for you.