Left turns are notoriously dangerous. Many car accidents occur when a driver turns left in front of oncoming traffic. The approaching driver has no space to stop—swerving left would put them in the oncoming traffic lanes, while swerving right would cause them to hit the car as it turns. As a result, a crash is almost inevitable.
There are many potential reasons why this could happen. Perhaps the driver turning left is young and inexperienced, so they misjudged the gap. Maybe they were under the influence of drugs or alcohol, leading to an ill-advised decision. They could also have been distracted by their phone, checking messages while waiting to turn, which is why they failed to see oncoming traffic.
More complex reasons
But there can also be more complex reasons why drivers make this mistake. One is a condition called inattentional blindness. This occurs because the human brain often filters out information as it tries to process everything a person is seeing a hearing, sometimes filling in gaps with what people expect to see.
For example, if a driver is waiting to turn, they may check traffic for approaching commercial or passenger vehicles. They expect to see semi-trucks, pickup trucks and passenger cars. However, since they do not expect to see a motorcycle, their brain may filter it out. As a result, a driver could look directly at a motorcycle and yet still turn left in front of the rider, causing a serious accident.
Seeking compensation
Have you been injured in a motor vehicle accident caused by another negligent driver? If so, make sure you know what legal options are available to you as you seek compensation for medical bills, lost wages and more.