The Most Dangerous Roads and Intersections for Boston-Area Motorcyclists

Greater Boston has some of the busiest, oldest, and most unpredictable roads in the country, and New England beyond it has its own hazards. Knowing where risk concentrates helps you ride those roads with your head up.

Boston intersections and rotaries

The cluster of intersections and traffic rotaries around the city is where left-turning cars meet riders. The driver looks for another car, not a bike, and turns across your path. In a rotary, pick your lane early, signal your exit, and never assume the other driver sees you. Cover your brakes and ride like you are invisible.

The scenic roads that punish a mistake

The Mohawk Trail through the Berkshires, the climbs up Mount Greylock and Wachusett, and the North Shore coast road reward smooth riding. Leftover sand from winter sanding collects on the inside of spring corners, and wet leaves in the fall get slick as ice. Look through the turn and leave a margin.

Coast, fog, and deer country

Cape Ann, the Cape, and Plum Island can go from clear to thick coastal fog in minutes. The Berkshires and western Mass are full of deer at dawn and dusk. Potholes and frost heave after a New England winter wait on the back roads. Scan the shoulders, slow when visibility drops, and ride relaxed over rough pavement.

The common thread

Most serious Boston-area crashes are not exotic. They are a driver who did not look, a patch of sand or wet leaves, a rotary taken wrong, or fog that rolled in fast. Visibility, smooth inputs, and a little extra space handle most of them.

Ride safe out there. This is general safety information for Massachusetts riders.