​Where Do Broadside Collisions Most Commonly Occur?

​Where Do Broadside Collisions Most Commonly Occur?

Broadside collisions can be some of the most dangerous types of crashes there are. Broadside car accidents can cause the occupants of a car to experience serious injuries. Most of the time, the impact from the other vehicle is unseen and unexpected. After experiencing such a violent crash, people tend to be afraid to drive through intersections or flinch whenever a car pulls out. Even if their injuries from the crash heal, the psychological trauma is real and lasting. This article will discuss where the most commonly broadside collisions happen and how you can protect yourself from being the victim of one. It will also discuss the common reasons broadside or T-bone accidents can occur in intersections. Many drivers on the roads and highways can drive carelessly and recklessly. There are erratic drivers everywhere. There are also selfish and negligent drivers who do not consider other people using the roads. It is these people who you have to be most worried about. Drivers who constantly break the speed limit or aggressive drivers who whip in and out of traffic cause many crashes. They think they're indestructible and don't care about the safety of any other person on the road. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries if you have suffered serious personal injuries in a broadside collision due to another driver’s negligence. The best decision is to hire a car accident lawyer to fight for your rights. If you have questions about what to do and how to proceed, an experienced car accident attorney is waiting for your call.

Intersections Create Broadside Collision Dangers

Intersections are where many automobile accidents happen. The fact that cars and trucks have an opportunity to come in close contact with each other can increase the number of crashes. Intersections are where broadside crashes or T-bone collisions happen most often. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is responsible for highway safety and designs the intersections. The agency also counts the number of points of conflict that vehicles have when using a standard intersection. The FHWA designs intersections and tracks crash data associated with automobile accidents within an intersection. About a quarter of traffic-related deaths and about half of all traffic-related injuries in the United States happen in or around intersections. One of the reasons why intersections are so dangerous and where many car crashes occur is the number of conflict points within a standard intersection. Conflict points are areas of an intersection where vehicles’ paths may come into contact. Every time a vehicle’s path could potentially merge with another vehicle, it creates a conflict point. At every conflict point in an intersection, there is a chance that vehicles can potentially impact each other. The standard eight-lane intersection (two lanes going each way on two intersecting roads) has 32 conflict points. There are also 24 vehicle-to-pedestrian conflict points on this standard intersection model. This means that at any given time, there are 32 areas where vehicles can crash into each other if a driver is going too fast or isn't paying attention. It also creates 24 areas for a vehicle to strike a pedestrian. This is one reason safety experts promote building more roundabouts, like the one in Marion's tower square, rather than intersections. Roundabouts are more popular in Europe than in the United States. In fact, England created the first roundabout in 1768. Many American drivers become very nervous about traversing through the rare U.S. roundabouts. Remember that scene in a famous comedy where a family can’t get out of a busy roundabout in England and has to see Big Ben and Parliament for hours? That’s how many U.S. drivers view roundabouts. However, roundabouts are safer and cause fewer accidents because they have only eight vehicle-on-vehicle conflict points per the standard intersection. They also have only eight vehicle-on-pedestrian conflict points. So the roundabout's structure significantly cuts down on the number of accidents that can occur.

Why Do T-Bone Accidents Happen at Intersections?

As mentioned, when passing through an intersection, two vehicles could come into conflict in many places if someone drives dangerously or doesn't pay attention. Here are the common causes of broadside collisions or T-bone accidents in intersections:

• Drivers speeding through the intersection and not being able to stop in time
• Drivers making a left-hand turn without making sure it’s clear
• Drivers not paying attention to the stop lights
• Drivers not paying attention to stop signs indicating that they have to stop
• Drivers being distracted by their smartphones or something else
• Non-working or malfunctioning stop lights that cause chaos at an intersection
• Drivers mistakenly believe they have the right of way

Negligent drivers can cause serious injuries in a broadside or T-bone collision. If this has happened to you, or you have questions that need answering, you need to contact an experienced car accident lawyer. Only a knowledgeable and skilled car accident attorney will answer your questions honestly and compassionately.

A Car Accident Lawyer Will Help You Recover Compensation

If another car hit you broadside in an intersection collision and left you seriously injured, you need to hire a good car accident attorney. Only then can you ensure that you will have someone fighting on your side. The at-fault driver’s automobile insurance company will have a small army of adjusters, investigators, and attorneys fighting to pay you as little as possible for your injuries. You deserve to have an aggressive team on your side that knows how to successfully represent people seriously injured in car accidents. You don’t have to go through this alone. Contact a car accident lawyer today to help you through this difficult time.