If you frequently drive on Georgia roadways, you no doubt travel through intersections quite often, especially if you do a lot of non-highway driving. Intersections are high-risk areas. Even if you do everything you can to stay safe, all it takes is a single moment of negligence on the part of another driver, and you might go from entering a crossroads on a green light to lying in the back of an ambulance.
Many intersection collisions happen because drivers fail to stop at red lights or fail to yield the right of way. Excessive speed, distracted driving or operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol are some of the most common causes of intersection accidents. You can control several factors that may help lower your risk for injury when you approach a crossroad.
Keep these things in mind
In addition to keeping your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel at all times while driving, the following tips may help you avoid trouble at intersections:
- Expect the worst: Approach every intersection expecting that there may be a negligent driver nearby. Always assume that something may go wrong, including the possibility that a pedestrian may suddenly dart into your path.
- Green lights do not always mean you should go: A green traffic light definitely means it is your turn to accelerate and move into an intersection; however, it’s always best to slow down when approaching a crossroad, even if the light is green, and to check your surroundings very carefully before stepping on the gas.
- Slow turns are safest: If a driver takes a turn too quickly at an intersection, it can lead to disaster. Safety analysts suggest turning at intersections traveling no more than five miles per hour.
- Eliminate blind spots: When you are at an intersection, there may be other vehicles or pedestrians caught in areas of roadway that are not immediately visible to you unless you physically lean one way or the other to see around your windshield frame and fully scan the road on all sides.
Eliminating unsafe acts is a logical way to improve intersection safety. However, you can’t control another driver’s behavior, so it is possible that even if you are cautious and alert while navigating an intersection, another motorist may be negligent and cause a collision with your vehicle and personal injury to you.
In the aftermath of an intersection collision
You may encounter numerous physical challenges as you recover from a motor vehicle accident. You may also experience emotional turmoil and financial trouble. There is no way to undo physical or emotional damage; however, it is often possible to obtain financial recovery for losses by seeking justice in a civil court.
