The choices a motorist makes in traffic have consequences. Some choices can lead to traffic tickets or undermine a vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Other choices increase the likelihood of serious car wrecks. Typically, anyone approaching an intersection has the option of turning left, provided that the intersecting road is not a one-way street. However, minimizing left turns is often a smart practice to adopt for optimal traffic safety.
Turning left at an intersection or from a turn lane on a busy road puts a motorist at risk of the most deadly type of two-vehicle crash that regularly occurs.
Left turns lead to T-bone collisions
When a driver turns left, they expose the sides of their vehicle to all of the approaching lanes of traffic. If other motorists don’t pay attention and yield the right of way as they should, then a side-impact crash, also known as a T-bone or angle collision, could occur.
These crashes are statistically the deadliest type of collision nationwide. They are responsible for approximately 45% of the fatal collisions reported every year.
Left turns are so dangerous that many package delivery companies plan routes that avoid left turns whenever possible. People in their own vehicles may want to follow suit by planning routes that minimize left turns, especially on roads with higher speed limits or at busy intersections.
Understanding the various risk factors that contribute to motor vehicle collisions can help people avoid crashes and recognize when others are at fault for a wreck. People hurt in a left-turn crash may be able to file insurance claims or civil lawsuits against the drivers who have hit them.