Every time you turn from one road to another or cross over a perpendicular street, you are navigating an intersection. Road signs or traffic lights control nearly every intersection, and numerous intersection laws allow vehicles to proceed safely and accident-free when followed correctly.
Even though there are systems to keep intersections safe, accidents still happen. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA), intersections make up the location for nearly 40% of all vehicle accidents. A collision with any vehicle can be damaging, but a semi-truck accident can significantly increase your likelihood of vehicular damage or personal injury.
To help you stay safe on the road and at intersections with semi-trucks, follow these safety tips:
1. Evaluate Your Driving Style
There are countless mental and emotional states a driver can be in when he or she gets behind the wheel. However, almost everyone has a baseline approach to driving that can be categorized in one of four ways:
- Aggressive
- Reckless
- Anxious
- Careful
Aggressive & Reckless Driving
Aggressive or reckless drivers are more likely to drive carelessly and disobey road rules, especially at intersections, which can result in near misses and harmful accidents. Careless driving choices at an intersection that a semi-truck is also passing through can end in severe damage or injury.
Anxious Driving
Anxious drivers often take too many precautions and make anxiety-driven choices at intersections. The presence of a semi-truck can likely increase anxiety for drivers who are already nervous behind the wheel, leading them to make problematic decisions that could lead to a semi-truck accident at an intersection.
Careful Driving
Careful drivers are most likely to analyze their surroundings, remain alert, and respond accordingly to other drivers and situations so as not to wind up in an accident themselves. When a careful driver is at an intersection with a semi-truck, the driver will tend to make safe choices for both them and every other vehicle at the intersection.
Evaluate how you approach the road. If you tend to drive aggressively, recklessly, or anxiously, try to make changes to your driving style to improve your likelihood of avoiding accidents at an intersection, especially ones that could involve semi-trucks.
2. Stay Alert & Be Aware of Your Surroundings
When approaching an intersection, it is crucial to observe who else is already at it or approaching it along with you. Not all drivers follow the rules of the road, so being alert and aware will help you to respond to any unexpected actions, including those by semi-truck drivers.
Staying alert also helps you to remember which intersection rules to follow. It can be easy to forget the right moves to make at an intersection, but intentionally remaining aware when navigating through will help you avoid mistakes that could lead to a semi-truck accident.
Our attorneys zealously fight for semi-truck accident victims! Call us today for a free consultation: 478-254-5040
Stay tuned for our six-part series on semi-truck accidents:
- 5 Fatal Causes of Semi-Truck Accidents
- 4 Ways the Size & Weight of a Semi-Truck Affects Drivability
- 4 Factors that Determine a Semi-Truck’s Stopping Distance
- Explaining the Dangers & Fatal Consequences of an Overweight Semi-Truck
- How to Avoid a Squeeze Play Accident with a Semi-Truck
- Simple Tips to Minimize Semi-Truck Accidents at an Intersection