An intersection in the town of Brussels is getting plenty of attention these days, and it was even set to be discussed at the April 4 Door County Highway Safety Commission meeting. After more than 20 vehicular accidents occurred at the junction over a span of just five years, many are starting to think the intersection of County C and Wisconsin 57 is simply accident-prone.

Set to appear at the meeting was an engineer from the state’s Department of Safety. The possibility of making “J-intersections” at the intersection was on the table as an option. These “intersections” would have drivers go past the physical intersection and then loop back around to get to their destination. One Brussels Town board member said that this option could actually make the problem worse, however, for semi-trucks and vehicles with large cargo.

The stated reason why the intersection is so prone to accidents is because it has no separate turn-off lane. Every other intersection along the road has these turn-off lanes, and one Brussels resident claimed that the Wisconsin Department of Transportation told her this absence was due to the fact that no school buses travel through the intersection. Another Brussels board member stated that the Department of Transportation isn’t worried about changing the intersection unless 12 deaths actually occur due to what many are calling an ill-planned intersection.

Unfortunately, there are many cases when road layouts can increase the risk of vehicular accidents. These types of design flaws, in addition to negligent drivers, can make it easy for even a vigilant driver to be involved in a serious accident. Anyone injured due to unsafe road conditions or negligent drivers may benefit from hiring a personal injury attorney. These attorneys may be able to ensure their client receives a fair settlement after an accident and may be able to negotiate with insurance companies as well.

Source: Green Bay Press Gazette, “Accident-prone intersection to be discussed,” April 2, 2013