People hearing information about traffic safety statistics often roll their eyes and assume that they know better and can avoid the mistakes that cause other people to end up injured in collisions. However, understanding statistics about crash risk is exactly how some people mitigate their risk of a serious wreck.
People who understand common factors that connect seemingly unrelated collisions can use that information to enhance their own safety and traffic. They can avoid driving in ways that might potentially increase their risk of a collision. There is one traffic maneuver that causes a majority of the collisions that occur at intersections. Drivers who understand this trend can potentially avoid contributing to those statistics later.
What causes many intersection crashes?
At most intersections, drivers only have three options. They can turn in either direction or proceed directly forward through the intersection. Drivers who decide to turn left leave themselves exposed to multiple different lanes of oncoming traffic. They also increase their risk by performing the basic driving maneuver most associated with crash risk.
According to an in-depth analysis of intersection collisions in particular, 61% of the reported crashes involved at least one driver attempting to turn left. Other drivers failing to monitor their surroundings, inadequate communication and incorrect assumptions about someone’s plan when they approach an intersection can all contribute to these crashes.
Drivers don’t need to stop turning left
Implementing a personal ban on left-hand turns is probably not the most practical new traffic rule. However, drivers aware of this trend can still use this information to protect themselves. They can avoid turning left at particularly busy intersections or at locations with poor visibility. When necessary, they might even want to plan an alternate route so that they can make a right-hand turn into their destination or multiple right turns instead of one left turn.
If a serious car crash does occur, connecting it with unsafe driving habits can help the people involved seek compensation from at-fault parties later. Those who understand what may have caused a crash can theoretically hold the right party accountable for unsafe or negligent behavior.