Turn signal neglect causes more accidents than texting, study says
Turn signal neglect is responsible for more than twice as many collisions as distracted driving, according to a safety study presented by the Society of Automotive Engineers at its 2012 World Congress. The study required safety experts to monitor the turn signal behavior of 12,000 drivers that were either turning or changing lanes. In 48 percent of all lane changing instances observed, the drivers failed to signal their intentions, and drivers observed turning failed to signal in one out of four cases. According to these statistics, drivers fail to signal before changing lanes or turning approximately 750 billion time per year on average, about 2 billion times per day. Every instance of neglecting to use a turn signal increases the risk of collision, according to safety experts. According to the safety study, an estimated 2 million collisions per year in the United States are caused by turn signal neglect. The United States Department of Transportation estimates that approximately 950,000 collisions are caused every year by distracted drivers. Safety experts recommend that new cars should be equipped with Smart Turn Signal technology that reminds negligent drivers to signal at proper times.
As a car accident attorney in Oakland, I am hopeful that drivers will adopt safer habits to make the roadways less dangerous. If you or someone you love has been injured in an automobile collision, please consider contacting an Oakland personal injury lawyer.
