Minor choices in traffic can have major safety implications. A driver who exceeds the speed limit puts themselves at risk of a citation or losing control of their vehicle. People need to be consistent about following traffic laws and best practices while driving.
Even reasonable, legal choices can have safety implications. Drivers approaching their place of employment or residence may need to turn left to access the property. Those stopped at intersections may turn left to follow the most direct path to their destination.
Left turns are legal and common. They are also incredibly dangerous. Many crashes begin with a driver turning left. Not only does a left-hand turn increase the risk of a crash, but it also puts a motorist at risk of the most dangerous type of collision.
Left turns often lead to angle collisions
Drivers can crash head-on into one another if they make the wrong choice at an intersection or someone turns the wrong way on a one-way road. A distracted driver might rear-end another motorist in traffic. Both of those types of crashes can cause injuries or fatalities.
However, when looking at federal crash statistics, angle collisions are the deadliest type of wreck. An angle collision occurs when one driver strikes the side of another vehicle. Angle collisions account for over two-fifths of all deadly traffic collisions.
A large portion of left-hand turn crashes are angle collisions. The driver turning might strike someone proceeding straight through the intersection. Someone going straight or turning from another lane could hit the driver making the left-hand turn.
Visibility issues, limits on maneuvers while turning and a lack of vehicle safety systems for collisions from the side all combine to increase the risk involved in such cases. Drivers involved in angle collisions may have massive property damage losses, medical expenses and lost wages to address.
Filing an insurance claim can sometimes help cover the cost of a left-hand turn car crash. Other times, the costs might be high enough to make litigation necessary. Responding appropriately by seeking to hold another driver accountable can help those affected by a left-hand turn collision mitigate the long-term consequences of an injurious wreck.
