There are many reasons why drivers get into accidents that injure pedestrians. Much of the time, drivers are just in a hurry. Sometimes, they are distracted. A lot of these accidents also involve alcohol use and intoxication.
However, the biggest problem is simply the way drivers approach right-hand turns.
For example, say that you are walking along a sidewalk, approaching a cross street. Coming down that road is a driver who wants to get to the end of their street and then make a right turn onto the main road that you’re walking along.
The odds are high that that driver is going to simply keep their eyes facing left the entire time. That is where the road traffic is coming from, and they know they are not going to have to cross into the other lanes. Therefore, they do not care about other cars and trucks that are coming from their right. They just want to look left until there is a gap in the flow of traffic, and then they will pull forward and turn right.
Why is this a problem for pedestrians?
If a driver never looks to their right and you are walking toward them from that direction, they could end up starting to drive forward just as you step off the sidewalk into the crosswalk in front of their vehicle. The driver will not know you are there because the driver was not thinking about pedestrians. The driver was only thinking about the other cars on the road and their own danger. This can lead to a very serious accident, even when the wreck happens at a low speed.
If you do get seriously injured in a crash like this where a driver failed to look both ways before turning, learn how you can seek financial compensation for your medical bills, your lost wages, and any other costs stemming from the crash.
