There may be times when you have no choice but to make a left turn when driving your car. But any time that you can plan to avoid such a situation, studies have found that you may be wise to do so. In fact, some delivery companies tell their drivers they should almost never turn left unless there is no other option. For them, part of the equation is simply that a vehicle sitting in traffic waiting to turn left is wasting time and fuel.
A big part of it is also the fact that accidents are more likely during left turns. That means even a less efficient route – such as taking three right turns – may be a better option. It takes a bit longer, but it avoids the major costs and delays of an accident.
Left turns create too many variables
Clearly, the biggest risk of turning left is simply that opposing traffic will be coming towards you and you have to cross in front of that traffic while you turn. This increases your accident odds.
It is possible to turn left safely, but there are far more variables than when making a right turn. What if the driver coming towards you is speeding, so you think that you have enough space to turn but you actually don’t? What if visibility isn’t good? What if a driver has their lights off at night?
Every part of the process requires you to make a judgment call and analyze the situation. Other drivers have to do the same thing. If everyone does this perfectly at the same time, the left turn happens without incident. However, if anyone involved makes even the smallest mistake, that can cause a serious crash. If you’ve been seriously injured in one of these collisions or lost a loved one, you may want to look into your legal options.
