As you pull up to an intersection, a little doubt may build in the back of your mind. What if the other drivers at this are ignoring the traffic lights? A driver could blast through a red light and ram the side of your vehicle. A driver coming up behind you may be distracted and suddenly smash into your bumper after failing to notice a light change.
These are all too common mistakes at busy intersections in California and in every state. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) finds that each year around 25% of all traffic fatalities occur at intersections across the country. Shockingly, intersections are the scene for about one-half of all accidents involving an injury.
California Intersection Dangers
California is already home to some of the worst traffic and most careless drivers in the country. When you funnel that traffic into an intersection, with lines of vehicles going in all directions, the chance for dangerous collisions only multiplies.
Drivers who show a lack of attention or engage in reckless behavior generally cause all the problems at intersections. These are just a few of the actions that lead to pile-ups:
- Distracted Driving Hazards – Intersections work because there are traffic lights to tell people when to proceed. In some cases, there are stop signs to alert drivers to observe the right-of-way. Drivers who stare at cellphones can miss a red light or a stop sign and plow into other vehicles with motorists who thought they were safe to proceed.
- Left Turn Hazards – Drivers get nervous when trying to make a turn across oncoming traffic. They can see the approaching cars clear out and hit the gas, but they may have missed a pedestrian, a bicyclist, or a motorcyclist.
- Right Turn Hazards – Drivers can merge into a right-hand turn lane without checking mirrors and blind spots. They might also forget to look if they have a pedestrian or cyclist crossing in front of them.
- Running a Red Light – Motorists can get aggressive and try to “beat a light” only to hit other drivers that have a green light.
- Not Stopping for Stop Sign – Drivers can make less than a full stop and pull out in front of a driver who was at the intersection first.
- Speeding Drivers – Drivers racing down the lane have much less time to react to a changing light or a pedestrian at a crosswalk.
For more information on what to do if you’re the victim at an intersection, visit our page on California Intersection Accident Dangers.
You can also visit our blog naming the other top ten causes of California car accidents.
Intersection Hazards in Some of California’s Biggest Cities
Any intersection can be a dangerous spot for local drivers. But cities with the highest traffic levels and the most aggressive drivers see the most accidents.
- Los Angeles recorded 2,307 intersection accidents involving injury in 2023. Those accidents led to at least 70 tragic deaths. Intersection crashes made up around 21% of the total serious accidents in Los Angeles and around the same percentage of total fatalities. That’s according to figures from California’s Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS).
- Fresno recorded 1,575 intersection accidents involving injury in 2023. Those accidents led to at least 41 tragic deaths. The intersection crashes made up around 41% of Fresno’s total serious accidents and around 21% of total fatalities. That’s according to figures from California’s Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS).
- Modesto recorded 600 intersection accidents involving injury in 2023. Those accidents led to at least 8 tragic deaths. The intersection crashes made up around 46% of Modesto’s total serious accidents and around 44% of total fatalities for the city. That’s according to figures from California’s Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS).
Make Sure You Hold a Careless Driver Responsible for Your Accident
If you are struck by a reckless driver at an intersection and suffer car damage or injuries, you are empowered to seek full compensation for repair bills and medical bills.
If you are seriously hurt and another driver is to blame, a California car accident lawyer can provide valuable protection. Insurance companies will look to blame you for the accident so they can get away with offering you nothing to help with recovery.
Contact Maison Law for a free, no-obligation case consultation. It’s a no-risk way to determine what your injury is worth and how to hold insurance companies fully responsible.
