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Just how dangerous are intersections?

On Behalf of | Dec 14, 2021 | Motor Vehicle Accidents

You have to deal with a lot of dangerous driving conditions when you’re on the road. Whether you’re trying to navigate a poorly designed road, driving through a construction zone or turning through a blind curve on a hill, the road itself can make accidents more likely.

One of the most dangerous places you’ll probably ever be is simply at an intersection. Those who live in a city may go through dozens of intersections per day. There’s no way to avoid this, but the risks are much higher when you have to navigate intersections more frequently.

The majority of crashes

While the exact number of crashes that happen at intersections changes every year, the Federal Highway Administration notes that the majority of crashes resulting in injuries or death happen at or near intersections. It’s consistently more than 50%. As far as actual physical distance covered is concerned, you spend vastly more time on straight roads, but intersections are where your accident risks truly spike.

Understanding this phenomenon does help you to avoid some of the risks. You learn to be more cautious, to double-check the other lanes, to never blindly trust green lights and to acquaint yourself with all of the rules that govern intersections. Being a defensive driver and making safety a priority can really help.

That being said, all it takes is one mistake by another driver to put you in a serious accident at an intersection. If you suffer significant injuries, you may need compensation for your medical bills and other costs.