Glendale has come a long way from its farming-town roots. Now the sixth largest city in Arizona, Glendale is home to roughly a quarter of a million people, and remains a regional draw for sports, shopping, and entertainment in the West Valley. On a Cardinals game day or a busy weekend at Westgate, the streets fill with locals, commuters, and out-of-town visitors who do not know the roads.
This mix is exactly what makes certain areas in Glendale more dangerous than others.
If you drive here regularly, you already have a sense of where traffic gets ugly; knowing where the risks concentrate, and why, can help you drive more defensively. It can also help you recognize when a crash you were involved in was not just bad luck, but the predictable result of a road or intersection that has been a problem for years.
Rasmussen Injury Law is proud to represent injured drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and cyclists across Arizona, with offices in Glendale, Mesa, and Tucson. Year after year, the same Glendale roads and intersections show up in our case files. Here is what we see, and what you should know if you spend time behind the wheel in this part of the Valley.
To speak with a Glendale Car Accident Lawyer, call (480) 637-5757.
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What Makes Glendale Roads Dangerous
Glendale’s crash patterns are not random. A few factors stack up to make some areas riskier than others.
The Grand Avenue diagonal. US 60, better known as Grand Avenue, cuts across Glendale’s otherwise-tidy street grid at a sharp angle. Every place it crosses a major avenue creates an odd, multi-leg intersection where drivers face unusual turn movements, longer crossing distances, and signals that can be confusing if you are not used to them. These diagonal crossings are some of the most collision-prone spots in the city.
Wide, fast arterials. Roads like Bell Road, Glendale Avenue, Camelback Road, Northern Avenue, and the 59th, 67th, and 75th Avenue corridors were built to move a lot of traffic quickly. High speed limits combined with frequent driveways, shopping center entrances, and closely spaced signals create constant conflict points.
Event and entertainment traffic. When State Farm Stadium, Desert Diamond Arena, or the surrounding Westgate district let out, thousands of vehicles will flood the streets and the Loop 101 at once. Add visitors unfamiliar with the area and a share of drivers who have been tailgating or drinking, and the risk of crashes climbs sharply.
Freeway congestion. The Loop 101 (the Agua Fria Freeway) along Glendale’s western edge carries heavy commuter and commercial traffic. Sudden slowdowns lead to high-speed rear-end collisions, and the interchanges with US 60 and I-10 are recurring trouble spots.
Desert weather. Monsoon storms can turn dry pavement into a hydroplaning hazard in minutes, and blowing dust cuts visibility on the open stretches near the freeways. Intense summer heat also contributes to tire blowouts and driver fatigue.
Glendale, AZ Traffic Accident? Local Knowledge Matters
A crash in Glendale is not the same as a crash in Mesa or Tucson. Local road designs, intersection histories, signal timing records, and even which agency is responsible for a given stretch of road all factor into building a strong claim. When looking for a personal injury attorney to represent you, consider your local options first.
Our Glendale office sits right off Bell Road and 75th Avenue. Our local team knows Glendale roads like locals—because we are locals. Our dedicated team has handled Glendale traffic accident cases for more than 30 years.
Whether your wreck involved a car, a truck, a motorcycle, a rideshare vehicle, or left you injured as a pedestrian, the experienced team at Rasmussen Injury Law is ready to help. To learn more about how we handle car accident cases throughout Arizona, call us at (480) 637-5757.
High-Risk Roads in Glendale
Grand Avenue (US 60)
Grand Avenue is the single most distinctive hazard in Glendale. Because it slices diagonally through the grid, its intersections with Bell Road, 59th Avenue, Glendale Avenue, and Camelback Road force drivers into complicated crossings with multiple signal phases. Rear-end and turning collisions are common, and the heavy mix of trucks using Grand as a through route raises the stakes.
Bell Road
One of the busiest east-west corridors in the entire Valley, Bell Road carries dense retail traffic past Arrowhead Towne Center and countless shopping plazas. Constant lane changes, drivers slowing to turn into parking lots, and high traffic volume make rear-end and sideswipe crashes routine.
Loop 101 (Agua Fria Freeway)
The 101 along Glendale’s west side sees high-speed travel, abrupt congestion around event venues, and busy interchanges. Crashes here tend to be serious precisely because of the speeds involved.
59th and 67th Avenues
These major north-south arterials feed traffic between residential neighborhoods, schools, and the commercial cores. Wide lanes and frequent signals invite speeding between lights, and intersections along these routes see a steady stream of left-turn and angle collisions.
Glendale Avenue and Camelback Road
Both are heavily traveled east-west routes lined with businesses, transit stops, and pedestrian activity. Drivers who do not expect people on foot often spot them too late.
High-Risk Intersections
While crashes can happen anywhere, several Glendale intersections come up again and again:
- Grand Avenue and Bell Road, a complex diagonal crossing with heavy volume in every direction.
- Bell Road and 59th Avenue, a busy retail hub with constant turning movements.
- Grand Avenue and 59th Avenue / Glendale Avenue, where the diagonal meets two major streets at once.
- Camelback Road and 59th Avenue, a high-traffic commercial intersection.
- Northern Avenue and 67th Avenue, where commuter and school traffic converge.
- Bell Road and 75th Avenue, near the Arrowhead shopping district and its constant flow of cars in and out of parking lots.
What to Do After a Car Accident in Glendale, AZ
If you have been hurt in a crash on any of these corridors, the steps you take in the first few days matter:
- Call 911 and get a police report. Glendale Police will document the scene and create the official record your claim will depend on.
- Get medical attention promptly, even for injuries that seem minor. Soft tissue and head injuries often worsen over the following days, and a prompt medical record ties your injuries to the crash.
- Document the scene with photos of the vehicles, the road, signals, and your injuries, along with the names and numbers of any witnesses.
- Be cautious with the insurance company. Adjusters often call within hours, and a recorded statement or quick settlement offer can work against you later.
- Track every expense, including missed work, co-pays, and out-of-pocket costs.
- Talk to an attorney before you accept any settlement. First offers are almost always lower than what your claim is actually worth.
For a fuller breakdown of these steps, our blog on what to do after a car accident in Arizona walks through the process in detail. (Furthermore, if you are worried that you were partly to blame, read our piece on whether you can sue if you were partially at fault in Arizona, because Arizona’s comparative negligence rules may still allow you to recover.)
Glendale, AZ Traffic Accident? Don't Miss Arizona's 2-Year Filinf Deadline
Arizona law generally gives injury victims two (2) years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury claim. That may sound like plenty of time, but evidence fades fast; skid marks disappear, surveillance footage gets overwritten, and witnesses become hard to track down. The sooner you involve an attorney, the more of that evidence can be preserved. Call us today at (480) 637-5757 to begin your claim.
Talk to a Glendale Car Accident Attorney Today
The risks on Glendale’s roads are real, and the results of a motor vehicle crash can be devastating. Fortunately, you do not have to face the aftermath of a crash alone; if you or someone you love has been injured on one of the city’s high-risk roads or intersections, Rasmussen Injury Law is ready to listen to your story and fight for the full, fair compensation you deserve.
Why choose Rasmussen Injury Law? With more than 30 years of practice, we know Glendale roads—and Arizona law—as well as anyone. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless we recover for you. If you have been injured in a Glendale car accident, we urge you to contact us for a free, no-obligation case evaluation: (480) 637-5757.