Drivers Beware— The Most Dangerous Roads in New Canaan

Jana Persky
Editorial Director

If you drive on South Avenue, Oenoke Ridge Road, Smith Ridge Road, or Main Street, pay attention. These roads have been named the most dangerous in New Canaan by the New Canaan Police Department. “The speeds on most of these roads is above 30 mph, and people don’t even follow that,” School Resource Officer Roy Bentley said. “When you get farther out of town [the speed limit]goes over 45 mph and people go even faster.”

Last year, South Ave had 22 accidents, more than any other road in New Canaan. Senior Keri Lloyd has experienced the danger firsthand. “I was driving down South Avenue to Mobil and all of a sudden someone pulled out of a side street without looking,” Keri said. “I had to swerve quickly to avoid hitting her.”

Excessive speed is just one of the many causes of crashes. According to Officer Bentley, most accidents in New Canaan are caused by distracted drivers. Texting, changing the CD, or eating in the car can be extremely dangerous. This is true in all situations, and especially so on roads with high speed limits. “The reaction time goes down as the speeds go up,” Officer Bentley said. “If you aren’t paying attention you may not have time to stop.”

Senior Zoe* said that she was reading directions on New Norwalk Road when she realized that she was in the wrong lane. “I was checking to make sure I was going to the right address and I wasn’t paying attention,” Zoe said. “I drifted right over the yellow line. I was lucky that there was no one coming towards me.”

The prevalence of bicyclists and pedestrians around town, particularly in the summer months, only adds to the danger. In the past six months, New Canaan has been rocked by two hit-and-runs on Oenoke Ridge Rd. One incident involved a fatality. According the New Canaan Advertiser, Police Sergeant Carol Orginc said that in both incidents, distracted driving was a factor.

In addition, weather conditions can add danger. Senior Blaire Haney crashed her car on Brushy Ridge Rd, another dangerous road, about a year ago. “It was rainy out, and I guess the roads were slippery,” Blaire said. “I pressed down on the gas of my car, and next thing I knew, my car was going horizontal and then basically ended up flipped on its side, on the side of the road.” According to Blaire, the officer that arrived at the scene told her that her old Jeep had skidded on the wet leaves. Blaire said that now she is much more cautious when driving in the rain.

While certain roads have more inherent dangers than others, Officer Bentley said that drivers need to be careful no matter where they are. His advice: “Pay attention to your surroundings, follow the speed limit, and limit distractions— it will make the roads safer for everyone.”

*Names have been changed