A significant portion of the car crashes that occur every year take place at intersections on surface roads rather than on highways. Although surface roads may have lower speed limits, serious crashes can still occur.
With two or more lanes of traffic crossing paths, it’s easy to see why there is so much risk for crashes at intersections. There is a very straightforward reason why so many collisions take place at intersections and also a simple driving safety hack that can reduce your risk of getting hit at an intersection.
Poor surveillance is the biggest risk
An in-depth federal analysis looking at years of collision data involving thousands of wrecks found one consistent issue arising in the vast majority of intersection collisions. Inadequate surveillance, meaning failing to properly monitor the surroundings, was the top cause of intersection collisions.
Incorrect assumptions about the actions another driver would undertake, illegal maneuvers and compromised visibility were also contributing factors to these collisions. Every time you approach an intersection, the possibility is there for you to misjudge another driver’s actions or for them to make an incorrect assumption about you.
You can’t prevent other drivers from coasting through a stop sign or from ignoring your turn signal. All you can do is eliminate the risk that your driving habits cause. The surest way for you to reduce those risks is to pay close attention at intersections or even wait before proceeding. When you check again or give someone a second to come to a full stop, you are less likely to make wrong assumptions about what another driver is about to do. Learning about crash risks and statistics could actually help you avoid getting into a serious motor vehicle collision.