Intersection Accidents a Common Occurrence
Intersections are one of the most dangerous portions of any drive. Among the most common forms of car accidents, collisions at intersections are also among the types of accidents most likely to cause injuries to vehicle occupants. Read more about intersection crashes below, and contact a California car accident lawyer if you’ve been hurt in an intersection accident.
Accidents at intersections common
According to a study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), approximately 40% of all motor vehicle collisions occur at intersections. Intersections provide a unique set of hazards for drivers which make accidents more common in intersections than in other locations.
The NHTSA found that one of the most common reasons for intersection accidents was a driver who turned with an obstructed view. The driver making a left-had turn initiated a turn when they had an incomplete view of oncoming traffic and collided with a vehicle that they couldn’t see. Often, both drivers bear a portion of fault for these accidents, when the turning car failed to wait to see if other cars were coming, and the car traveling through the intersection was driving over the speed limit to make it through the light.
Another common reason for intersection crashes was described as “false assumption of other driver’s action.” This is listed as the cause of crashes where one driver guesses incorrectly at what another driver will do. For example, if a driver attempting to turn left assumes that an oncoming car will stop once a light turns yellow and proceeds to turn, this assumption could result in a crash if the other driver continues driving through the intersection, assuming the turning driver would yield.
“Inadequate surveillance” was the most commonly-cited reason for intersection crashes. Drivers who failed to take the time to look for oncoming cars before turning or traveling through an intersection were deemed responsible for 44% of all accidents caused by driver error.
Protect yourself from intersection accidents
In order to prevent accidents at intersections, follow these tips:
Don’t assume that drivers will stop at yellow (or even newly-turned red) lights. Only turn or travel through an intersection when there is an adequate gap in traffic or you’re sure no cross-traffic is still traveling through the intersection.
Wait a moment after a light turns green before beginning to go through it, to ensure that the last of the cross-traffic has gone.
Don’t change lanes. California law makes it illegal to change lanes in or near an intersection, and doing so can cause a crash.
Check your blind spots for pedestrians, cyclists, or lane-splitting motorcycles before turning.
If you’ve been hurt in an intersection accident in California, contact the knowledgeable, effective, and determined Los Angeles automobile accident lawyers at Magaña, Cathcart & McCarthy for a consultation on your case, at 310-553-6630.
