Drivers generally know that they need to be careful around intersections. After all, they are about to enter an area where multiple vehicles travel in opposing directions. Many of the worst crashes reported every year take place at busy intersections.
It only takes a momentary lapse and judgment or a failure to monitor surroundings carefully for a preventable crash to occur. Those approaching intersections generally look for oncoming traffic, communicate their intentions using vehicle signals and then move through the intersection as quickly as possible.
The maneuver a driver intends to complete at an intersection directly influences their degree of collision risk. One common maneuver that drivers perform at intersections plays a role in the majority of crashes that occur at intersections.
Turning left is a risky undertaking
Those operating motor vehicles can reverse or back up when they need to maneuver their vehicle out of an enclosed space. When in traffic, drivers usually only complete one of three maneuvers. They proceed forward or turn in one direction or the other.
Right turns are relatively efficient and fast. They pose minimal collision risk, so the law permits people to complete a right turn even if they first stop at a red light. Left turns, on the other hand, are relatively dangerous. Federal crash statistics indicate that they play a role in over three-fifths of all collisions that take place at intersections.
The need to cross multiple approaching Lanes of traffic is one reason why left turns are so dangerous. The failure of motorists to monitor their surroundings and consistently use their turn signals also contributes to the risk inherent in turning left. Any of the parties involved in a left-hand turn collision could have a degree of fault for an incident, depending on the details of the scenario. People who worry about their crash risk may want to specifically avoid turning left at busy intersections during times of heavy traffic.
Anyone involved in a left-hand turn collision may have the option of taking legal action or seeking financial compensation if the other driver was at fault for the wreck. Holding another driver accountable for a car crash caused by unsafe driving habits can reduce the financial impact that a wreck inspires for victims.