The Bowen Rd. and Island Hwy. intersection was ranked the most dangerous Nanaimo intersection four of the last five years. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

crashes

Bowen Rd. & Island Hwy intersection remains Nanaimo’s most dangerous for second year running

May 25, 2021 | 4:34 PM

NANAIMO — A busy central Nanaimo intersection was once again considered the most dangerous.

New ICBC crash data showed there were 46 crashes at the Bowen Rd. and Island Hwy. intersection. The intersection saw 60 crashes in 2019.

Crashes have trended downwards in Nanaimo in recent years.

Bowen Rd. and the Island Hwy. has been the most crash-prone Nanaimo intersection in four of the last five years.

Crashes at the intersection in 2020 resulted in 24 injuries, down from 34 the year before.

Warriors Win Battle

Clippers drop third game in a row with loss in West Kelowna

4h ago

elected

Beeston elected new Ladysmith Mayor

6h ago

social connection

Nanaimo group combatting social isolation among seniors, those with diversabilities

9h ago

In 2020, the Island Hwy. was involved in the two top intersections. Both the Bowen Rd. and Rutherford Rd. intersections with the Island Hwy. saw 46 crashes.

Aulds Rd. was featured twice in the top five most dangerous Nanaimo intersections, where it meets the Nanaimo Parkway and also at the Island Hwy. intersection.

The only intersection in the top five not in the central or north Nanaimo area was Cedar Rd. and the Island Hwy. south of Nanaimo. There were 37 crashes there in 2020.

Two intersections featured in 2019 weren’t in the top most dangerous Nanaimo intersections in 2020. Both the Enterprise St. and Island Hwy. intersection and Jinglepot North at the Nanaimo Pwy. saw less crashes in 2020.

The number of crashes in Nanaimo has trended down in recent years, dropping from 6,521 in 2017 to 5,789 in 2019.

2020 is considered an anomaly due to the COVID-19 pandemic which took a sizable number of cars off the street, especially during the summer long weekends which are traditionally crash-heavy.

There were only 4,644 crashes in Nanaimo in 2020.

Of those crashes, there were roughly 400 recorded injuries.

Join the conversation. Submit your letter to NanaimoNewsNOW and be included on The Water Cooler, our letters to the editor feature.

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @NanaimoNewsNOW