Approximately four of every 10 car accidents occur at intersections, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In North Carolina, there were more than 128,000 intersection crashes in the most recent year of complete traffic data, including 42,000 intersection collisions involving injuries and 402 involving deaths, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation.
Intersections have traffic converging from multiple directions. Changing traffic patterns and multiple lanes of traffic can make it difficult for some drivers to keep track of the approaching vehicles. Distracted or inattentive motorists may rear-end another vehicle at a traffic light, fail to yield the right-of-way, or make any number of illegal driving maneuvers, causing an accident.
Dangerous Intersections in Raleigh
Thousands of motorists use the streets, roads and highways around Raleigh for commuting to work, school or travel. The intersections listed below have higher than average numbers of crashes and are among the most dangerous intersections in Raleigh:
- Poole and New Hope Road
- Hammond Road at Tryon Road
- South Wilmington St and East Davie Street
- Edwards Mill Road and Wade Avenue, Wade Park Blvd.
- Dawson Street and South Street
- Millbrook Road and Old Wake Forest Road
- Rock Quarry Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
- Lumley Road and Brier Creek Parkway
- Wake Forest Road, Ollie Street, and Ronald Drive
- South Saunders Street and Ileagnes Drive
Common Causes of Intersection Accidents
Accidents at intersections occur for many reasons. Drivers can be distracted, speeding, or not paying adequate attention to traffic conditions. The following are the most common scenarios for collisions in intersections.
- Running a Traffic Light— Some impatient drivers believe that a yellow light is a signal to speed up instead of brake. If a driver speeds through a red light while another driver enters the intersection on a green light, a side impact crash, also known as a T-bone accident, may occur, resulting in serious injuries.
- Distracted Driving – One of the leading causes of intersection accidents is distracted driving. Distracted motorists may be texting or talking on a cell phone, adjusting their radio, or talking to other passengers and miss changes in traffic. Their inattention poses a danger.
- Failure to Look Ahead – Traffic accidents may occur at an intersection because a driver fails to see oncoming traffic before entering an intersection. This can happen when a driver is making a left or right-hand turn.
- Failure to Judge Speed – If a driver is making a left turn and misjudges the speed of an oncoming vehicle, the driver may turn into the path of the oncoming vehicle and can cause a collision.
- Obstructed Views/ Road Construction– Motorists may be unable to see what is ahead because of a large vehicle, trees, shrubbery or road construction while turning and cause a severe accident due to limited visibility.
- Poor Intersection Design– Poor design is another cause of crashes at hazardous intersections. The NHTSA estimates that poor intersection design is responsible for 23% of intersection accidents. Poorly designed intersections may have blind spots that obstruct a driver’s field of vision and make it difficult to see oncoming cars.
- Inclement Weather – Sometimes drivers cannot avoid hazardous road conditions, such as rain, sleet or ice. When this happens, motorists are susceptible to sliding through an intersection without being able to control their vehicle and causing a collision.
Intersection Accident Injuries
If you are involved in a car accident in an intersection, you may suffer serious injuries. The extent of the injuries depends on multiple factors include the speed at which the vehicles were travelling, the angle of impact, the size and weight of the vehicles and whether the vehicle occupants were wearing seat belts. For example, side impact collisions can cause serious injuries because the sides of car have narrow crumple zones to absorb the impact of a collision and offer less protection to vehicle occupants.
Intersection accident injuries may include the following:
- Lacerations, cuts, bruises, scrapes
- Fractured limbs
- Whiplash or other neck injuries
- Concussions or brain injuries
- Soft tissue injuries such as sprains, torn muscles or ligaments
- Broken ribs and collarbones
- Hip and shoulder displacement
- Back Injuries
- Injuries to internal organs
- Spinal cord injuries
Who is At Fault for an Intersection Accident?
Proving who was at fault in an accident is significant because North Carolina follows the doctrine of contributory negligence in personal injury claims. In other states, you may be able to recover damages after a car accident, even if you were partially at fault.
However, North Carolina is one of the states that ultimately does not allow the recovery of damages if the injured person was even slightly at fault for a traffic accident. No matter how small your contribution to an accident, it could be enough to prevent you from recovering damages.
If you are involved in a car accident at an intersection, you want a car accident attorney who will argue forcefully that the other driver was at 100% at fault. Proof of fault in a car accident can be determined through evidence such as police reports, drivers’ statements, witness statements, video or photographs of the scene and accident reconstructions.
You will want to work with a car accident lawyer who has years of experience handling intersection accidents.
Hurt in a crash at a Raleigh intersection? We can help.
If you or your loved one has been seriously injured in an intersection accident, you may be facing unanticipated medical bills and loss of income. The experienced Raleigh car accident attorneys at Hardison & Cochran can help you seek the compensation to pay your medical debt and help you get back on your feet.
Contact us at (800) 434-8399 for a free consultation today.
