Turning left is notoriously dangerous. Some delivery companies even tell their drivers not to do it unless there is no other option. Many drivers try to avoid left turns when they can, or they at least look for protected left turns where they have a green arrow.
The reason drivers are wary of making a left at an intersection is that turning left is more likely to cause a car accident. There are two main reasons why this is true.
Oncoming traffic
First and foremost, a left turn means driving across oncoming traffic lanes, in the vast majority of cases. This is inherently more dangerous than driving straight or making a right turn. It statistically raises the odds of an accident, even for safe drivers. After all, someone else could make a critical error, such as driving with their lights off at night or exceeding the speed limit, leading to an accident during what would have otherwise been a safe turn.
A judgment call
The second reason that left turns often result in car accidents is that they are judgment calls. The driver who is turning has to look for an appropriate gap to make their turn. They have to trust that other drivers will not do something unexpected, like speeding up to try to make it through the tail end of a yellow light. But one mistake by anyone at the intersection can turn this routine maneuver into a serious crash.
Have you been injured in a car accident caused by another negligent driver? Take the time to look into all of your options to seek financial compensation.
