Car Accidents and Intersections
Car accidents are common to intersections, and the results are often very serious. Intersections are those sections of our roads where drivers moving in different directions at varying speeds with opposing goals (including proceeding forward and making left or right turns) come together in one small area of roadway. The circumstances are rife for dangerous accidents. If you have been injured by a negligent driver in an intersection accident, you need experienced legal counsel. (Read more about the consequences of negligent driving: Driver Negligence Often Equals Dangerous Car Accident)
Intersection Accidents: The Statistics
Statistics from a 2010 report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that, although intersections make up a small part of our total system of roadways, far more accidents (percentage wise) happen in intersections. The report goes on to pinpoint several factors that influence these accidents:
The number one cause of intersection accidents is motorists who inadequately survey traffic in the intersection.
The second-most predominant cause of intersection accidents is motorists who trust mistaken assumptions about what other drivers are about to do.
The third leading cause of intersection accidents are drivers who make turns while their views are obstructed.
The fourth and fifth leading causes of intersection accidents are illegal driving maneuvers and distracted driving, respectively. Intersection accidents happen, and driver error and negligence is often to blame.
RELATED: Read About Texas' Distracted Driving Law Passed in 2019
Common Types of Intersection Accidents
Intersections are busy places, and nearly any kind of accident can occur in them. There are, however, two specific types of accidents that are most common to intersections:
Side-Impact Accidents
Because vehicles approach intersections from opposing directions, side-impact accidents – or T-bone accidents – are common. When you are traveling through an intersection on a green light and another vehicle comes directly at you from one side or the other, that vehicle likely appears to have come out of nowhere. Further, the sides of your vehicle are far less protected than your crumple zone in the front and your trunk in the back, so the injuries you sustain may be extremely serious. Such accidents are often caused by motorists who run red lights, who fail to stop at stop signs, who fail to yield appropriately, who turn across lanes of traffic, who fail to adequately assess oncoming traffic, and/or who do not take the road’s condition into careful consideration. (Read more about driving in poor conditions: Driving Safely in Bad Weather)
Rear-End Accidents
Rear-end accidents are extremely dangerous and are common on our roadways, including our intersections, and distracted driving is often the culprit.
If a Negligent Driver Has Left You Injured in an Intersection Accident, Consult with an Experienced Central Texas Car Accident Attorney Today
Intersection accidents are dangerous, often result in serious injuries, and are not uncommon. If you have been injured by a negligent driver in an intersection accident, you need experienced legal counsel, and the dedicated car accident attorneys at The Law Office of Brett H. Pritchard in Central Texas are here to help. We care about you and your claim, so please contact or call us at (254) 220-4225 today.