One of the trickier traffic maneuvers for drivers in South Florida is negotiating the U-turn in heavily traveled intersections. Intersections represent one of the most dangerous areas for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists – with people turning right, going straight, heading right on red and, of course, making U-turns. A driver’s eyes have only seconds to scan the entire scene before heading forward – many times, it’s an accident waiting to happen.
The personal injury that could result from such accidents can have significant effects the same day, weeks or months and years after the incident. The simple truth is that injury is a reality of life, and a personal injury protection attorney in Ft. Lauderdale can help pave the way for injured parties to receive the compensation they deserve. But the best sort of accident prevention is always anticipation of what the other driver might do as well as knowing the law. And the law is basic: If you are intending to make a U-turn and the light is green, you legally have the right of way. The driver turning right on red must always yield to a driver making a U-turn. Problems occur when drivers turning right spend time looking left to wait for traffic to clear, instead of also looking at the cars queued up ahead of them, waiting to turn into the same lane that they’re turning into.
Both drivers, when turning, need to stay in the closest lane to the turn, and not cut across thelanes of traffic.
What else can you do when turning to prevent personal injury in Ft. Lauderdale? Here are some tips:
- Always look both ways, checking for pedestrians, bicyclists, and, of course, other drivers, when making a U-turn. Don’t merely glance, but take a moment, to study the vehicles heading in the same direction as you are.
- At the green light, wait a few seconds, in case another driver intends to run the red light.
- Never back up in a turning lane – if you’ve changed your mind or entered the lane in error, proceed ahead for the next available turn.
Watch out for curves in the road or a hill when making a U-turn – always make sure oncoming drivers can see your vehicle when you make a U-turn
Always be patient with the person ahead of you making a turn – if there’s oncoming traffic, there is not much that driver can do but wait to turn. Show courtesy on the road.
