One Of The Best Driving Safety Tips May Be To Avoid Turning Left - Here's Why

Given that modern automobiles are equipped with a slew of advanced safety features, one might reasonably assume that cars, trucks, and SUVs are safer to drive than at any other point in history. There is, however, one potential hole to be poked in that logic, in that vehicles are still largely beholden to the human beings that drive them. Thus, it can still be quite the adventure whenever you get behind the wheel and venture out into the world.

There are, of course, measures you can take to keep yourself a little bit safer on the road. In fact, many states still teach defensive driving techniques to youngsters who are pursuing their driver's license. Some of those measures are pretty simple to follow, such as following at a safe distance, braking early, avoiding distractions such as mobile devices, and always giving yourself extra time to reach your destination. But according to some folks in the automotive arena, there may be one safety tip that you haven't considered, as it could seriously complicate your route between the proverbial points A and B. 

Said tip is to, whenever possible, avoid making a left-hand turn en route to your destination, as doing so can markedly lower your chances of getting into a fender bender or a more dangerous automobile accident. As noted, that approach might not be entirely feasible for some, but if you're a safety obsessed kinda driver, it may be wise to make the extra effort and avoid turning left.

Yes, taking left hand turns out of your navigational equation might seem like a pretty extreme measure. However, legitimate studies have been conducted concerning the matter, and the results support the concept that doing so will make any commute safer for drivers. One of those studies even made claims that turning left can increase your chances of an accident in astronomical ways, noting that some 61% of crashes that occur in intersections are the result of a drive attempting to make a left-hand turn.

That number comes from a recent study undertaken by University of Pennsylvania Civil Engineering professor Vikash Gaya, who surmised that the primary cause for auto accidents that occur during left-hand turns is human error. More specifically, Gaya believes that, even if drivers understand the meaning of yielding precautions, many still misjudge the time they have to complete a left turn before oncoming traffic enters the intersection on a collision course. So, even with advancements like Automatic Emergency Braking systems, the human factor continues to complicate the roadways for many drivers.

As it is, both Gaya's study and many others note that the left turn problem is more of an issue in cities and downtown areas. The logic being that such areas would benefit significantly from re-working their roadways to limit the ability to turn left. Some major cities have already begun taking such measures. So too have certain delivery outfits like UPS, which famously began removing left turns from its driver's routes a few years back. Given the stats, it might be time for everyday drivers to consider doing the same.