Over 50% of all accidents reported in the United States occur either near or at intersections. These accidents cause severe injuries and fatalities. Though the government has tried to implement several safety improvements to curb these accidents, they are still very rampant.
Intersections are extremely busy and have traffic coming from different directions. Unfortunately, every state in America has at least one dangerous intersection. It is crucial to take extra care while at an intersection. The local and national government should also ensure that the streets and roads are well maintained.
Intersection accidents can happen at stop signs or red lights. Here are some of the causes of dangerous intersection accidents.
Tailgating
While on the road, all vehicles are required to maintain a safe distance between themselves and the vehicle in front of them. When vehicles follow each other too closely, they are at risk of ramming into each other in case of a sudden stop or distraction. You can easily miss the other vehicle’s brake lights when they turn on, and this can lead to a rear-end collision. Keeping a safe distance also makes it easy for the driver to react on time.
Failing to Yield to Others
It is always safe to yield to other drivers that you are sharing the same roadway with. Several laws are in place to help drivers know who has right of way at an intersection; this is meant to help drivers know who should go through the intersection first at what point as the traffic flows.
However, some drivers fail to uphold the laws or yield to other drivers. Therefore, this accident mostly occurs when one driver tries to pull out in front of the driver who has the right of way.
Unsafe Lane Changes
This is yet another common cause of intersection accidents. Drivers tend to switch lanes when approaching an intersection to get to the right lane depending on where they are traveling to. It is important to switch lanes early enough to avoid last-minute changes.
Unsafe lane changes happen when a driver fails to signal to the other driver that they are changing lanes or trying to maneuver their vehicle when the traffic is building up and there is no space to move. This can cause a rear-end collision or a sideswipe accident.
Failing to Recognize a Two-Way Stop Sign
It is not a requirement that all cars stop in every direction when they come to an intersection. Under every stop sign, there is a sign that informs the driver about the flow of traffic. This sign can read something like all-way, 2-way, 3-way, or 4-way.
When the stop sign also has a 2-way sign under it, it means that cross traffic is not required to stop. However, many drivers fail to recognize this sign and continue their journey, assuming that the other car will stop. Failing to stop in the cross-traffic lane can lead to a T-bone crash.
Failure to Stop
Though every driver knows what a stop sign means, some drivers tend to ignore the sign, maybe because they are speeding, are DUI, or distracted. Failing to stop when required to is a leading cause of road accidents. If the car was speeding, the result could be catastrophic. Drivers should uphold all traffic rules to avoid such accidents.
Contact a Car Accident Attorney
If you have been in an intersection accident, you should speak to an experienced car accident attorney in your area. Intersection accidents can be catastrophic. You will incur a lot of expenses, from repairing your car to paying hospital bills. To help you get compensated for the damages, a lawyer will help you prove liability and get compensation from the at-fault party.
