Half of all injury accidents happen at intersections

Injury statistics will show you that you face serious risks on the road every year. There are millions of car accidents, resulting in 5,400,000 injuries and around 35,000-40,000 fatalities each year.

Breaking these specific statistics down shows that roughly half of all injuries people suffer in car accidents occur at intersections – or at least relatively close to these intersections. The same is true for about a quarter of all fatalities. The one saving grace at intersections is that there are many low-speed collisions, which are less likely to lead to fatal injuries. But they can still lead to serious injuries like traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and spinal cord injuries (SCIs), along with the fatalities noted above.

Why are intersections so dangerous?

The problem with intersections is that they are inherently dangerous because they force traffic to cross paths. As long as traffic going in one direction has to cross in front of vehicles going in another direction, there are just going to be higher odds of a collision.

For instance, consider the interstate highway system. It is one of the safest places people can drive, even with high speeds, because traffic never crosses paths.

But when you’re driving in most areas, whether you’re on rural roads or city streets, you have no option to avoid using intersections. If another driver makes a mistake, like running a red light or failing to brake in time to stop safely, you could suffer serious injuries in a crash that they cause.

Seeking financial compensation

If this happens and the other driver is liable, you may be able to seek financial compensation. This can help to cover the medical bills that you’re facing, lost wages, lost earning capacity and other costs. Make sure that you know exactly what legal steps to take at this time.