Navigating Freeway Intersections Safely: Essential Guidelines

Freeway intersections are places where vehicles of all sorts meet, having to stop and follow certain rules regarding who has the right-of-way. This creates a complicated situation that requires keen attention to safety guidelines and your surroundings.

Significance

• According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, there were 7,043 people that died in accidents that occurred at intersections during 2009. The chances of accidents occurring are increased when drivers exceed posted speed limits. Local, state and federal governments have made intersection safety a top focus.

Features

• Drivers approaching an intersection need to pay attention to several variables. These include: movement of other vehicles, safety signs and the amount of room they will have to make a turn. The driver also needs to constantly scan the intersection for any possible dangers that may exist. Possible dangers can be obstacles in the road or careless drivers.

Other Considerations

• Drivers need to pay attention to safety and directional signs at intersections.

  The driver should avoid unnecessary distractions when approaching an intersection, such as talking on a cell phone. Motorists need to slow their speed at a freeway intersection not marked with a "Yield" or "Stop" sign. They should yield to vehicles already coming through the intersection. The vehicle that first stops at an intersection has the right of way. If the driver stops at the intersection simultaneously with another vehicle, the car on the driver's right goes first.