By Cindy J. Roth
The ratings, released earlier this month, ranks the Atlantic and Ocean avenues intersection as the second worst crossroads in the area, tied with the Atlantic and Lincoln avenues intersection in Oceanside with 12 accidents. The Nassau Expressway and Bay Boulevard intersection in North Lawrence tops the list with 16 accidents reported in the last nine months.
The Fourth Precinct, which rates the high frequency accident locations, covers the areas of Atlantic Beach, East Rockaway, the Five Towns, Island Park, Lido Beach, Point Lookout and Oceanside.
The list, compiled by the Nassau County Police Department's Traffic Safety Unit, is based on reports forwarded to them from the Fourth Precinct from Jan. 1 through mid-September. The severity of each accident, which could range from a fender-bender to a fatality, was not indicated on the list.
East Rockaway's Main Street and Atlantic Avenue intersection also made the list with seven accidents and the village's Main Street and Carmen Avenue intersection followed with a posting in the six-accident category. The Atlantic and Grant avenues, Atlantic and Rhame avenues and Front Street and Althouse Avenue intersections also made the list at four accidents a piece, the lowest level noted on the traffic safety unit report.
The traffic accident figures are compiled to help police try to improve conditions, if they can, or to deter speeding by bolstering enforcement, said Police Officer Mike Bitsko, a Nassau County Police Department spokesperson.
"These numbers are recorded because we want to have officers in patrol cars or someone from the POP [Problem-Oriented Policing] Unit issue tickets and provide some speed control," Bitsko said. "We either go to the officers patrolling that area or to the POP Unit to try to resolve that problem."
Fourth Precinct Police Officer Mike Dougherty blames most accidents on driver inattentiveness and inexperience and lack of defensive driving skills and knowledge of the road.
"A lot of people just go too fast," he said. "They have to slow down!"
