Permitted left turns put Georgia pedestrians in danger | Atlanta ...

Pedestrians are some of the most vulnerable people on the road. They may use sidewalks, traffic signals and crosswalks safely and lawfully, but all it takes is one negligent driver to put a person in danger. Often times, a pedestrian accident in Georgia is caused by motorists who are simply not paying attention to the people around them. They are too focused on other vehicles or distractions inside the car to notice that a pedestrian is crossing the street or waiting to cross on the corner of an intersection.

This lapse in focus and safety can cause a crash in the blink of an eye. One second, a person is crossing the road and the next they could be in critical condition at the hospital due to the extensive injuries that are often sustained in car-pedestrian accidents. What may be most worrisome about these collisions is that they occur in marked crosswalks more than any other spot on the road.

The results of recent research indicate that more pedestrians are hit by a car in crosswalks when drivers are making a permitted left turn than in any other situation. When a driver is turning left at an intersection controlled by signals, flashing yellow or red lights or solid green lights often give a driver permission to turn left when it is safe to do so. Permitted left turns are different from protected left turns, where drivers turning left have complete right of way.

But all too often, a motorist is focused solely on the oncoming traffic in order to determine when it is safe to turn left. This means that any pedestrian crossing the street to the left of the turning driver can go completely ignored.

Even when pedestrians comply with traffic laws and do everything they can to stay safe on the roads, they can get seriously hurt by a negligent driver. In a pedestrian accident, a person can suffer catastrophic injuries that range from broken bones to paralysis to death. Victims of these accidents have the right to hold a negligent or reckless driver accountable for the damages that are sustained.

Source: Personal Liberty Digest, "Marked U.S. Crosswalks Are Accident Prone," April 4, 2013

Source: http://www.winstonbriggslaw.com/blog/2013/04/permitted-left-turns-put-georgia-pedestrians-in-danger.shtml

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