People often think about interstates and highways when discussing car crashes. Higher speeds tend to have a strong association with worse collisions. Many of the most dramatic crashes, including multi-vehicle collisions, occur on busy roads with relatively high speed limits.
However, crashes can also occur in locations where there are vehicles traveling in opposing directions, even at slower speeds. Intersections are the setting for many serious collisions, some of which may put people in the hospital or worse. Despite traffic slowing or stopping at intersections, the wrecks that occur at intersections can be quite severe.
What factors contribute to the likelihood of an intersection crash occurring?
1. Inadequate surveillance
Research into intersection crashes has helped identify exactly what occurred before a collision. The top factor contributing to intersection crashes is the failure of the drivers involved to properly monitor their surroundings.
Approximately 44% of crashes at intersections take place because people don’t look before proceeding. Especially when people are close to home, they may take their safety for granted instead of looking diligently in both directions to identify potential crash risks.
2. False assumptions about others’ actions
Many times, crashes occur because people assume what a driver is about to do, only to have them complete a different maneuver. Many of these cases involve improper communication with other drivers.
Such mistakes often occur because another driver may have failed to use their turn signals. People across an intersection need to know what the other people approaching the intersection intend to do. If drivers fail to communicate with one another using the built-in systems in their vehicles, they may end up involved in completely preventable crashes because of that mistake.
3. Turning with an obstructed view
Some intersections are very close to buildings. Other times, there could be vegetation growing that impedes visibility.
Even parked vehicles can make it difficult for people to see the approaching lanes of traffic. If people can’t see approaching vehicles, they can’t yield the right of way or make the right choices about their own behavior.
Learning about why people cause car wrecks can help drivers avoid collisions or demand accountability from the parties at fault when they do happen. Drivers who pay close attention when approaching intersections can reduce their likelihood of a major wreck.