Most people hope to go their entire lives without experiencing a major motor vehicle collision. People often buy specific vehicles based on their safety ratings. They adopt unique habits intended to reduce their risk of a crash. They also monitor others in traffic carefully.
People tend to be most proactive about safety when traveling at high speeds. Intersections, where the risk of a crash may seem lower due to vehicles stopping and drivers checking their surroundings, may seem safer than high-speed roads. However, a substantial portion of crashes occur at intersections.
What factors contribute to the likelihood of an intersection collision?
Driver decisions increase collision risk
When looking at the most common factor in intersection collisions, a legal and situationally-appropriate traffic maneuver is often part of the circumstances. According to nationwide collision data, over 60% of all intersection collisions involve at least one driver turning left.
Left turns are not illegal, but they are inherently dangerous because drivers should stay in the right lane when there is two-way traffic. Sadly, the bad decisions of others increase the likelihood of an intersection collision.
Distracted drivers and those who are overconfident about their safety may not properly monitor their surroundings when approaching an intersection. Many drivers choose not to yield to others when they should. Others fail to use their turn signals. In some cases, drivers even choose not to stop at a sign or a red light indicating that they should. In many cases, the driver turning left may not actually be at fault for the crash.
People approaching intersections, especially those who need to turn left, may need to be very careful about checking the situation before proceeding. Understanding crash risk factors can help people avoid motor vehicle collisions and hold the appropriate parties accountable if/when they occur.