Click above to see 15 crashes at the Moscow intersection
Every city has at least one: a badly designed intersection with poor visibility that's prone to car accidents. But this one looks like it was laid out by Rasputin. What you see here isn't a snapshot from the set of The Bourne Ultimatum. It's a junction in the increasingly over-populated streets of Moscow where passers-by regularly observe an inordinate amount of crashes. Fortunately, the accidents look like mostly fender-benders, but we'd think that the Supreme Soviet Russian authorities would want to centrally plan a redesign of the intersection, or at least consider revising the signalization, especially since they don't so much have to worry about confounding European armies marching through their capital these days. Until then, more cars are bound to pile up at these crossroads, which you can see from the images in the gallery below.
[Source: English Russia via Jalopnik]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Aeromax @ Aug 22nd 2008 9:00AM
I wonder what intersection that is, and why it's such a killer?
Max Palmer @ Aug 22nd 2008 9:02AM
I wonder what intersection this is, and why it's such a killer?
CH @ Aug 22nd 2008 9:07AM
Funny how it's practically always the same accident. Either the people coming from the lower left corner just don't look what is coming from left, or the ones coming from left (out the tunnel) are way too fast.
egallina @ Aug 22nd 2008 9:20AM
I don't see the intersection being badly designed. From what I can see in these photos, it seems these accidents are mostly caused by people going too fast down the straight (under the bridge) and not being able to avoid the inevitable collision that occurs when those coming off the off ramp appear before them. It may also be the fault of those coming off said off-ramp who believe the drivers of the other vehicles will turn right instead of going straight.
And in a few of these examples it seems clear to me that Russian drivers clearly have a problem staying on their side of the road: take note of the placement of the cars in photos 1,13 and 15!
Craig @ Aug 22nd 2008 10:41AM
Might thoughts exactly... It also looks like people are making left turns although the painted lines make it look like that's not allowed (the traffic moving up I guess is the best way to describe it).
Here is Nova Scotia there are highways known for their crashes, but there really isn't anything wrong with them. I personally think it's because people are driving too fast or are falling asleep at the wheel (sections are pretty monotonous).
Shipey @ Aug 22nd 2008 9:28AM
In Russia, car crashes you!
thomas @ Aug 22nd 2008 11:11AM
DAMMIT SHIPEY I WAS GONNA SAY THAT!!!
if you look at picture number 9, which gives you a better view of the whole intersection; and at number 2, which was taken when that tree wasn't so.... thick, you can clearly see that.... THERE ARE NO SIGNAL LIGHTS!!! in fact, i don't even see a stop sign, i cant imagine why there are so many accidents there!!!
Harrison @ Aug 22nd 2008 12:39PM
I believe it's
In Soviet Russia, car crashes into you!
-that would be more fitting.
Benfolio @ Aug 22nd 2008 12:59PM
No, it's supposed to be "In Communist Russia...."
Fabio @ Aug 22nd 2008 9:32AM
It's not bad disigned, troll!
Beastage @ Aug 22nd 2008 9:42AM
I recently been to Russia and in Moscow the traffic is one of the scariest things in the world.
The people that drive in black Q7s or black M5s... stop for no one, you either get out of their way... or they crash you.
Beastage @ Aug 22nd 2008 9:43AM
oh I just forgot to add, the roads are fine, the stop lights work good and the streets are wide and intersections well designed, it is the people that drive like maniacs.
JS @ Aug 22nd 2008 9:54AM
Looks like a simple "STOP" sign would alleviate all the accidents if placed for the traffic coming from the lower left of the photo's. Since they are the one's trying to make the Left turn it only makes sense, otherwise it looks like a fairly typical intersection we would see in the US...or anywhere.
Dan @ Aug 22nd 2008 10:38AM
Let me just say... your post heading... Simply. Genius.
Swede @ Aug 22nd 2008 11:58AM
With almost no driver training, this happens. The streets may be wide but Moscow still has plenty of crossings that allow for people to crash into oncoming traffic. But mostly it's because of the russians themselves that drive poorly. Check out the famous russian tunnel video on Youtube.
Noidor @ Aug 22nd 2008 12:14PM
Been to Moscow several times, and I can tell you that on the road, one can get away with anything. I like how they drive there - traffic as congested as it is, moves fast, the response time is superb too, and best thing is cops don't shut down 2 out 3 lanes to remove a knocked down rearview mirrow, unlike UK.
Benfolio @ Aug 22nd 2008 12:35PM
Is it just me, or are there an inordinate number of Mazdas crashing in Russia?
Harrison @ Aug 22nd 2008 12:40PM
It's the Zoom-Zoom that does the job.
iamhoff @ Aug 22nd 2008 12:48PM
I was thinking the same thing...a few 3s and a lot of 6s. I'm still trying to figure out what the euro sedan is in the middle of pic 7...kinda has an Audi A4 profile (previous gen), but the taillights are all wrong. Seat perhaps? To the intertubes!!!
Benfolio @ Aug 22nd 2008 1:01PM
I dunno, but I suddenly want to make an SVT Contour (Mondeo) wagon because of pic 14....