NEW YORK STATE – If you ask a New Yorker about dangerous roads, they might mention the pothole-riddled Cross Bronx Expressway. But while the Cross Bronx is annoying, it’s mostly a parking lot. The real danger in New York lies on the roads designed for 1920s Sunday drivers, now used by 2026 commuters in SUVs.
From the aggressive weaving in Nassau County to the blind intersections of Queens, here are the red zones you need to watch out for this year.
1. The “Blood Alley’s’s’s”: Southern State Parkway (Long Island)
For Long Islanders, this isn’t just a commute; it’s a survival test. The stretch between Exit 17 (Malverne) and Exit 32 (Farmingdale) has earned the grim nickname “Blood Alley’s’s.”
The Danger Zone:
- The Design: Built in the 1920s, the curves are too sharp for modern speeds, and the bridges are too low for trucks (which regularly hit them).
- The “Launch Ramps”: The on-ramps are terrifyingly short, often giving you mere seconds to merge from a dead stop into 70 mph traffic.
- The Aggression: Because it is a “Parkway” (no trucks allowed), cars weave aggressively across all lanes. The trees are right on the shoulder, meaning any loss of control is often fatal.
2. The “Scenic Trap”: Taconic State Parkway (Hudson Valley)
It is arguably the most beautiful road in the state, but the Taconic is unforgiving.
- The Problem: It is narrow, often just two lanes with zero shoulder. If you break down, you are blocking a live lane of traffic around a blind, winding curve.
- The Weather: In the Hudson Highlands, the elevation changes cause the road to freeze before the surrounding areas.
- The Intersection: Unlike an interstate, the Taconic has at-grade intersections (like the infamous Pudding Street, though recent overpasses have helped). Crossing the parkway is a high-stakes gamble.
3. The Intersection List: 2 Spots to Watch
New York City intersections are chaotic, but these two consistently rank as the most crash-prone according to NYPD collision data…