Car accidents often happen without warning, and they can technically happen almost anywhere. Many people are injured in crashes on roads that they travel frequently. All it takes is one mistake by another driver, and a person could suffer severe injuries.
When reports look at where these injury-related crashes take place, however, a trend becomes clear. Roughly half of these crashes happen at intersections. In addition, when looking at fatal car accidents, about 25% of them also occur at intersections. What is it that makes intersections so dangerous?
Complex road designs
For one thing, an intersection is a more complicated road design. At a four-way stop, drivers have to understand when it is their turn to go. At a light-controlled intersection, drivers have to properly follow traffic signals. While this may seem relatively simple, it is still more complex than driving down a straight stretch of roadway, so it is inevitable that some drivers are going to make mistakes, make the wrong decisions or make poor judgment calls.
When they do, intersections are then inherently dangerous due to the fact that traffic moving in different directions has to cross paths. Other drivers are counting on everyone around them to make the correct decisions, such as taking their turn at the four-way stop. But if even one driver makes a slight mistake and goes out of turn, it could suddenly lead to a serious accident with opposing traffic.
These types of inherent dangers are the risks that you face every time you drive. If you have suffered injuries due to errors made by other drivers around you, you need to know how to seek compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and more.
