Avoid Being Another Statistic: Help Prevent Intersection Accidents
Back in Kindergarten, we learned how to take turns and maybe even had some fun playing the game “Red light, green light.” Unfortunately, quite a few drivers must have forgotten what they learned in their early years of school because statistics show that people make some very poor decisions when traveling through intersections. In 2013, 767 people were killed in intersection-related crashes, and that does not include the thousands more that were injured.
You cannot change the behavior of other drivers, but you can make sure that you are doing everything possible to protect yourself and other motorists on the road. A few easy ways that you can avoid tragic intersection collisions include:
- Proceeding with caution on a green light. Green does mean go, but it does not mean to hit the gas and floor it through the intersection. Remember that while your light just turned green, the lights facing the opposite direction just turned from yellow to red. It is not uncommon for a driver to try to “beat” the red light and accelerate as quickly as possible through the intersection. Keep an eye out for those people before you proceed on the green light.
- Follow the rules of the road. This may seem like a no-brainer, but when you’re in a hurry or just feeling impatient, you may not feel like sitting through a long red light or waiting behind someone who is turning left on the green light. Relax, breathe, and wait for your turn. The rules are in place for a reason.
- Use your turn signal. Sometimes when you’re driving a route you travel every day, you can forget the basics—like using your blinker when you want to turn left or right. Remember that you know where you’re going, but the other drivers certainly don’t. Give them a clue and avoid being crashed into as you take that turn.
Avoiding an intersection accident really just involves some patience and common sense. Help your loved ones avoid an intersection crash by sharing this article with them!