If there is one thing New York drivers cannot avoid, it is intersections. While many drivers find intersections a source of frustration and a waste of valuable time, the fact is that they are also among the most dangerous places to be. More than half of all car accidents occur at intersections, and nearly all of those accidents involve some kind of driver error. Drivers who know the most common mistakes to make at intersections may have an advantage, both for avoiding those mistakes themselves and for anticipating them in other drivers.
The most frequent mistake a driver can make when approaching an intersection is failing to look carefully in all directions before proceeding. Over 44% of intersection accidents are the result of poor surveillance of the conditions and potential hazards. This results in many collisions, including deadly head-on crashes. Drivers often make other mistakes at intersections, such as:
- wrongly assuming what another driver will do
- turning without a clear view of where they are going
- making illegal maneuvers
- not paying attention to what they are doing
- failing to correctly judge how fast another driver is going
The key to intersection safety is for drivers to take their time before making decisions. Speeding up to an intersection, such as when the light turns yellow, is risky because it does not allow for safe corrections if a bicyclist, pedestrian or another vehicle enters one’s path. When approaching an intersection, it is wise to be especially alert since not every driver will take these precautions seriously.