As the home of the University of Northern Colorado and diverse companies that focus on health care, education and meatpacking, Greeley has more than its share of commuters.
With all that’s going on, Greeley also gets more than its share of traffic accidents. Certain roads and intersections may prove more dangerous than others in Greeley and Weld County. A recent analysis from the personal finance website MoneyGeek determined some of the more dangerous roads in the region.
A deadly city when it comes to crashes
MoneyGeek reviewed more than 1,700 fatal crashes that occurred from 2018 to 2020 in Colorado. It found that Greeley recorded 26 fatalities during that time, ranking as the eighth most deadly Colorado city when it comes to motor vehicle crashes. However, Greeley ranked as the most dangerous municipality within Weld County.
The study reviewed the main factors that contributed to fatal crashes. In Greeley, speeding contributed to 11 fatalities, drunk driving led to nine fatalities and distracted driving led to one fatality.
Highways, a county road and a city street
In its study, MoneyGeek cited some of the region’s most dangerous roads:
- S. Highway 85: This road recorded 23 crashes with six of them occurring within Greeley city limits. (In 2021, a stretch of this highway north of Greeley received significant attention from law enforcement in an effort to reduce fatal crashes.)
- S. Highway 34: A segment of this road east of Greeley also received significant attention in 2021 from the Colorado State Patrol and the Weld County Sheriff’s Office as troopers and deputies sought to reduce fatal crashes in the area.
- Weld County Road 31: This road includes restaurants, retail stores and a nearby high school and college.
- 35th Avenue between Evans and Greeley: This stretch is filled with shopping centers, retail stores and restaurants, so plenty of road traffic is bound to lead to an accident.
Please make sure to plan your commutes and subscribe to defensive driving. Doing so may prevent you from getting into an accident.
Stay alert
Dangers may confront any driver at any time of day. You may avoid certain dangers through careful planning, alertness and vigilance every time you get behind the wheel.