People constantly look for ways that they can stay safe while they drive. There are a lot of things you can do, such as becoming a defensive driver, increasing your following distance, and always leaving yourself enough time so you don’t have to rush.
Another simple way to make yourself safer is to avoid left-hand turns. They’re just so dangerous that you’re probably better off to take three rights and go around the block so that you do not have to turn left. It has been said that — scientifically speaking — we should eliminate them entirely.
What we have learned from intersections
Not all left turns happen at intersections, but studying the ones that do can give you some insight into why this is so risky. According to some reports, more than 60% of intersection crashes happen because someone is turning left.
There is simply an inherent danger to turning left because you have to cross in front of another car. If that car is speeding or if you have made a poor judgment call when you turned, it leads to a crash. Everything has to go perfectly for a left turn to work, whereas there is more room for error in a right turn because you don’t cross oncoming traffic.
That said, it may be impossible for you to always avoid left turns. If another driver makes a mistake and hits your car, make sure you know how to seek compensation for your injuries and medical bills. You may also be able to get compensation for related costs, such as lost wages if you had to miss work while you healed in the hospital or at home.
