How to Avoid Pedestrian Accidents While Making Right Turns

A recent Raleigh traffic crash serves as a tragic reminder of how crucial it is that drivers understand how to avoid pedestrian accidents. Per WTVD-TV, the incident happened on Tryon Road near the Hammond Road intersection. The pedestrian was hit by a vehicle as he was crossing Tryon Road. He died from injuries he sustained in the crash. The vehicle that struck the pedestrian had just turned right onto Tryon Road from Hammond Road prior to the deadly collision.

What Can Drivers Do to Avoid Pedestrian Accidents While Turning Right?

Drivers hitting pedestrians while making turns is more of a problem than many people realize. This type of pedestrian crash can happen in situations where drivers are making left turns or right turns. The reason is that when drivers are turning, their attention is split between multiple lanes of traffic at the intersection, most notably the one they are in and the one they are attempting to turn into. Since drivers have so much to pay attention to in these situations, it can lead to them failing to notice pedestrians if they are not careful.

For instance, when a car is turning right at an intersection, there can be pedestrians crossing the street in the driver’s path that are initially only visible to the driver through his or her peripheral vision. In other cases, the pedestrians may not even be visible in the driver’s peripheral vision, because they are in his or her blind spot.

When drivers are making right turns, whether the light is green or red, it is crucial that they check their blind spots for pedestrians. Collisions between automobiles and pedestrians generally result in pedestrians suffering catastrophic injuries or losing their lives. Therefore, it is vital that drivers keep this in mind and do what they can to avoid pedestrian accidents.

Do you think drivers do enough to prevent pedestrian accidents? If not, what more do you believe drivers could be doing to avoid pedestrian crashes? Let us know in the comment section below. For more news regarding pedestrian accidents and other similar incidents, keep following our Raleigh personal injury law firm’s blog.