When researchers were looking into where car accidents took place most often, part of the process involved lumping together the most serious accidents. These are motor vehicle crashes that either lead to injuries or fatalities. Doing so helps to eliminate fender benders and a whole host of minor accidents. After all, in the majority of car crashes, no one is injured.
But when you look at these serious crashes, an interesting phenomenon emerges. More than half of them take place at intersections. These intersections are the most common locations for people to be hit by another driver and wind up in the hospital. Why is this true?
An inherent risk of road design
The reason for this is just that road designs are inherently dangerous. Intersections will always have a greater degree of danger because traffic has to cross paths. Someone has to drive in front of oncoming traffic lanes, so all it takes is one mistake for a crash to result.
Additionally, drivers often have to make decisions at an intersection. Consider a four-way stop. Every driver has to know if it’s their turn or if they need to wait for another car to proceed. Along with that, you will always have some drivers who run stop signs entirely, perhaps because they are distracted or under the influence. Any single mistake at an intersection can lead to a crash, so drivers are putting their own safety on the line every time that they proceed through one.
Of course, you can’t help but use these road designs and drive through intersections, likely daily. If you are injured in an accident caused by another driver, you may be able to seek financial compensation.