The Anatomy of an Intersection Car Crash and Possible Consequences

However, you can also divide car accidents into categories in another way. For example, you might look at accidents and categorize them based on where they happen. 

In this article, we’ll look at a particular spot where car accidents occur frequently. Many car wrecks happen in and around intersections. In fact, the NHTSA says over two million intersection car crashes happen yearly.  

Why do these accidents happen so much? How can you prevent them as a driver? What happens after one? We’ll answer all of those questions now.

How to Behave When You Approach an Intersection

To understand these types of accidents better, let’s think about intersections for a moment. An intersection happens when two roads or streets intersect. That’s when they either meet or cross each other.

You might go through many such road or street intersections every day on your way to and from work, the grocery store, or any other destination. You will immediately notice when you approach an intersection that they have signs or traffic lights that dictate the proper driver behavior.

Usually, you will see a stop sign that tells you when to stop and to wait your turn. If an intersection does not have a stop sign that faces you when you approach it, then you’ll likely see a traffic light facing you that you must obey instead. 

If every driver behaves correctly when they approach an intersection, then you will very rarely see an accident there. It’s when a driver or multiple drivers do something wrong when they get to an intersection that you might see mayhem and a collision. 

Situations That Commonly Cause Intersection Car Accidents

If you approach an intersection and decide to ignore a stop sign that’s facing you and your vehicle, that can easily cause an accident. You may step down on the gas rather than the brakes. 

If so, and your vehicle surges forward, another car might hit you because the other driver had the right of way, and you went out of turn. If you’re not paying attention and don’t see the stop sign, this may happen.

You might also miss seeing the stop sign if you consumed alcohol before you drove. Drunk driving often causes intersection accidents. If you ingest an edible or smoke some marijuana because you’re in a legal weed state, you might miss a stop sign for that reason as well. 

You may also step on the gas and try to make it through a yellow light when approaching an intersection. If the light turns red, but you didn’t feel like waiting, another car might hit you. 

These types of driver behaviors often cause wrecks in intersections. Now, let’s look at how to avoid these types of collisions. 

How You Can Avoid Intersection Car Accidents

Often, simply paying closer attention as a driver can help you avoid intersection accidents. If you let a smartphone distract you while you’re driving, you might run a stop sign or a red light. Distracted driving can also involve you talking with your passengers in an animated fashion. You might let the radio distract you if you’re trying to change the station when you approach an intersection.

You can also avoid intersection accidents if you don’t drink and drive. If you consume any alcohol, you can avoid driving, even if you think you’re not over the legal limit. Have a policy in place that if you consume any alcohol, even if it’s just one beer, then you won’t drive. This can prevent many accidents, not just ones involving intersections.

Don’t use marijuana before driving, even if you’re in a legal weed state. You shouldn’t drive if you have used any other intoxicants, either. That includes legal, prescribed ones that a doctor gave you if you know they make you sleepy or dizzy. 

You can also avoid many intersection car accidents if you wait your turn when you approach an intersection with a yellow light. If you don’t think you can make it all the way through before the light turns red, then stop. You might take a little longer to get to your destination, but you’re keeping yourself and other drivers safe, as well as any pets, cyclists, and pedestrians in or around the intersection. 

What Normally Happens After an Intersection Car Accident

If you ignore established traffic laws when you approach an intersection and cause a crash, several things might happen, none of them good. You can total your car or someone else’s vehicle. You might hit a pedestrian or cyclist. 

If another vehicle hits you, it might knock you out of the intersection is such a way that your car hits a storefront or a fire hydrant. You might end up on someone’s front lawn or even damage their house if another vehicle hits your car hard enough. 

You may injure yourself or someone else. You may even kill someone if you tried to run through a yellow light that turned red before you cleared the intersection.

Intersection accidents can change your life, and not for the better. As a driver, you need to understand that you’re behind the wheel of a multiple-ton vehicle. You may not think about it much, but that’s potentially a weapon. You need to handle it accordingly and take your responsibilities seriously.

If you get in an intersection accident, then hopefully, the worst won’t happen. Something like a minor fender bender may teach you a lesson about care and obeying the established traffic laws.

If you’re unlucky, though, a single rash decision when approaching an intersection might alter your life forever, or even end it. Keep that in mind the next time you get behind the wheel of your car.