Motorists got into more major traffic accidents at a downtown intersection than any other spot on O'ahu, according to the latest report on high-accident locations around the island.

The report, covering 2002 through 2004, listed the intersection of Beretania and Alakea streets as the site with the most major crashes at 42.

The No. 2 location, with 30 crashes, was the lower Makiki intersection of King and Punahou streets.

Linda Verdugo, who has worked at St. Andrew's Cathedral for 15 years, wasn't surprised that her workplace was next to the most accident-prone spot on O'ahu. The intersection handles the bulk of traffic heading 'ewa through downtown, and Alakea is a main thoroughfare for motorists leaving downtown in the mauka direction.

"It can be scary out there, trust me," said Verdugo, who last year came across two accidents at the intersection about an hour apart as she and a co-worker walked to and from their gym. On another day, they returned from a workout only to find a car upside down on the very spot where they had been standing about an hour earlier.

"Last year was horrible," Verdugo said, adding that she suspects most of the accidents were caused by drivers racing to beat a red light.

Traffic-safety experts cautioned against reading too much into the numbers because critical information was missing, such as what factors contributed to the accidents and whether the crashes occurred at peak or off-peak traffic times. They also noted that the information is dated.

Without data to put the accident numbers into a broader context, "my sense is this tells us where the congestion is, not where the problem areas are," said Karl Kim, a University of Hawai'i professor who is an expert in analyzing transportation data.

SAFETY RESOURCE

City officials said the report, compiled by the state, is just one of multiple tools they use to analyze traffic-safety issues.

The report included a separate list showing the O'ahu intersections with the highest number of pedestrian accidents from 2003 through 2005. At the top of that list, with six accidents, was the intersection of Beretania and Punchbowl streets — only a few blocks from the most-dangerous crash site.

Pedestrian safety has become a major concern on O'ahu after a spate of fatalities earlier this year.

The crash statistics were compiled by the state Department of Transportation and provided to the city in September in accordance with federal law.

The state in recent years has denied requests by the media and others seeking high-accident locations, citing concerns about losing costly traffic-injury lawsuits. The current list was provided to The Advertiser by the city.

The report covers only accidents that resulted in deaths, injuries or at least $3,000 in property damage.

The top accident sites were concentrated in Honolulu's urban core, home to many major employers, retail centers and densely populated neighborhoods, a combination that creates constant traffic throughout the day.

Only two of the top 30 accident sites, for instance, were outside the general urban core. The two, at Waimano Home and Moanalua roads in Pearl City and Geiger Road and Kapolei Parkway in 'Ewa, had 13 and 12 accidents, respectively, from 2002 through 2004.

Richard Torres, deputy director of the city's Department of Transportation Services, said his staff uses the accident list to help identify areas that may need further evaluation. He couldn't say why the Beretania-Alakea intersection was at the top of the list, though another city official suspected that was due to the heavy traffic that goes through there.

"The bottom line is, if it's a public safety issue, that's a top priority," Torres said.

DATA INCONCLUSIVE

While looking at site-specific numbers can be helpful, not having information about the drivers involved or other contributing factors makes drawing any conclusions difficult, the experts said.

"Locations per se don't cause accidents," Kim said. "People do."

Even the locations, though, can be misleading. When police compile the reports from which the numbers are derived, they can list the nearest intersection as the location — even if the crash happened hundreds of feet away.

The most comprehensive information about major accidents in Hawai'i is contained in the state's massive database on crashes dating to 1986. But the state DOT, which oversees the system, historically has severely limited or blocked access to that data.

Verdugo said she didn't need the accident-locations report to know the Beretania-Alakea intersection was dangerous. She said the frequency of crashes there seemed to be on the rise until about a year ago, when construction on a nearby condominium project started affecting traffic, forcing approaching drivers to slow down. The project still is under construction.

Still, Verdugo cautions family, friends and others driving to the cathedral to be careful at the intersection.

"We're warning everybody," she said.

Reach Rob Perez at rperez@honoluluadvertiser.com.