The Most Dangerous Roads in the Quad Cities

All of us at Zimmerle Law have noticed that we have handled multiple car accident cases at the same few intersections and areas. We started to wonder... what are the actual most dangerous roads and intersections in the Quad Cities?

So we did what a bored high school student would do and asked AI to tell us.

Is it accurate?

Does it at least feel close to accurate?

So let's get into it - apparently these assessments are from the Iowa and Illinois DOTs.

Iowa Quad Cities (Davenport & Bettendorf)

The IA DOT's Crash Analysis Tools (ICAT) and regional reports consistently flag areas that are heavy with commercial traffic and dense intersections.

• Kimberly Road Corridor (US 6/US 61): This remains the undisputed heavyweight champion of high-volume accidents in Davenport. IA DOT data analysis often points to the high cluster of crashes at key intersections.

  • Eastern Avenue and Kimberly Road: 

    
    

• Frequently cited in official DOT-sponsored analyses as one of the most accident-prone intersections in the Iowa Quad Cities. The risk is driven by the complex flow of a major retail corridor meeting an arterial cross-street.

• Marquette Street and Kimberly Road:

•  Another perennial high-ranking spot, demonstrating a persistent pattern of multi-vehicle incidents.

• Locust Street at US 61/Harrison Street: 

• Continues to be identified by traffic safety studies (sometimes leveraging older, but structurally relevant, DOT data) as having a high rate of rear-end, broadside, and, crucially, pedestrian-involved incidents. This highlights a persistent risk for unprotected road users in congested urban areas.

• 53rd Street Corridor (Between Brady Street and Welcome Way):

•  This major east-west route is a hotbed for congestion, which, as any defense attorney knows, is a primary breeding ground for negligence. The area’s accident rate remains high due to multiple turning movements and merging traffic.

Illinois' High-Risk Routes (Moline & East Moline)

IDOT data underscores that while fatal crashes often occur on rural highways across the state, urban state routes and major corridors—like those in the Quad Cities—account for a massive volume of total crashes and a significant number of fatalities.

• John Deere Road (IL 5): This expressway-style route is a constant source of accident reports. IDOT data trends confirm that high-speed limits intersecting with local traffic signals create complex crash dynamics.

  • John Deere Road at 41st Street: 

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  • Howard has handled many crashes from either this intersection or the one immediately north (the "Panera" intersection). A defense attorney once pointed out that the stop lights on 41st at John Deere and the Panera intersection line up and can be confusing.

  • This intersection is frequently identified as a major regional concern. A specific, recent example of a data-driven intervention was the March 2024 traffic change prohibiting right turns on red at this location to mitigate rear-end and turning crashes, illustrating its high-risk profile.

• Avenue of the Cities Corridor (East Moline): This major East Moline route has been acknowledged as a high-priority commercial and traffic route, with public safety plans citing a significant volume of car, truck, and pedestrian incidents, especially leading up to the John Deere Road connections.

• 11th St and Avenue of the Cities

• Ugh, this thing. I've handled some significant crashes here - it's the place in East Moline by the Circle K, pawn shop, trailer court, etc where Avenue of the Cities (with a median) and two (TWO!) service roads all are crossed at once. I'm surprised it works as well as it does, honestly.

The Interstate Calculus: Severity Over Volume

While city streets log the highest number of total crashes, the severity skyrockets on the interstate.

• Interstate 80 (I-80): Provisional IDOT and IA DOT data for 2024 and 2025 confirms the continuing trend of high-speed, high-severity crashes on the interstate system. I-80, as a transcontinental freight route, sees heavy truck traffic. The confluence of these factors, especially at the complex US 61 interchange near Davenport, makes the segment a persistent contributor to traffic fatalities in the region.

  
  

The one we didn't see? The I-74 Bridge

Man, does anyone miss the old bridge? One of the biggest pains was that it didn't have a shoulder, so any crash would back it up for hours. I've represented people who were rear-ended on the old bridge and mentioned how embarrassing the whole thing was in addition to their actual injuries.

New bridge? I haven't seen many - knock on wood.

So was AI right? Are these the most dangerous intersections for a reason, or are they just busy? If anyone needs a car accident attorney in the Quad Cities, Zimmerle Law would be happy to talk to them and see if we can help. 309-581-5336